The Mumbai Zonal Unit of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday claims to have busted an inter-state drug network, by seizing 1.134 kilograms of party drugs and arresting four drug peddlers during raids launched on the eve of New Year.
“The raids yielded 100 grams of mephedrone and 1.034 kgs of psychotropic medicines and four drug peddlers have been arrested,” NCB’s Mumbai Zonal Unit Director Sameer Wankhede said.
Giving details of the raids conducted at various places on the eve as well on the New Year day, Wankhede said that the raids were conducted at Kurla in north central Mumbai, at Andheri and Versova in north-west Mumbai and in Navi Mumbai where these peddlers have been active for long and “they part of an interstate network”.
Mephedrone (MD), also known as M-cat, Meow Meow or White Magic, is a synthetic stimulant drug of Amphetamine class psychoactive characteristics and usually used at rave parties.
The investigators are trying to find out the local links of the arrested peddlers and trace the masterminds involved in the busted drug racket.
The New Year-eve raids were part of the ongoing effort to drug menace in Mumbai and surrounding areas.
The NCB registered two drugs cases in the wake of the investigations launched by the CBI into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June last year upon the directive issued by the Supreme Court. While the first drug case relates to the actor’s death, the case is the Bollywood-drug mafia nexus case.
Sushant, it may be recalled, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his closed room of his duplex flat at Mont Blanc building at Bandra’s Carter Road in north-west Mumbai on June 14.
More than 25 persons — including Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik — have been arrested and a large number of persons have been questioned in connection with a case registered by the NCB on August 28, two days after it registered a case suo moto. Subsequently, Rhea was granted conditional bail by the Bombay High Court in the Sushant death-related drug case on October 7, 2020.
As part of the investigations, the NCB had earlier questioned Bollywood’s prominent actresses Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh. The agency had also arrested television comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Harsh Limbachiya. It has also issued summons to film-maker Karan Johar.