Ephedrine haul: Cops on trail of another Indian-origin man linked to international cartel

Mukhi reportedly met this person in Dubai in connection with a “drug arrangement”, said an officer.

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The Thane police have so far arrested 10 persons in the case in which Ephedrine for medicines was being allegedly diverted from the Solapur unit of Avon Lifesciences Limited and sold for making narcotics, including party drug Meth.

The Thane police probing the matter have said the accused were in touch with Goswami who had plans to use the Ephedrine from Avon to make Meth at a factory in Tanzania.

The police especially focused on two international trips, one each to Dubai and Kenya, made by accused Jay Mukhi, Manoj Jain and Kishore Rathod earlier this year. While the police were aware that the Kenya trip was to meet Goswani in connection with setting up of the Tanzania unit, they were so far unaware whom they met in Dubai.

“Mukhi told us that the Dubai meeting was with an Indian national who has shifted to Morocco and was involved in the drug trade there,” said a senior officer. He added, “Curiously, like Goswami who hailed from Gujarat and then moved to Kenya, the Morocco-based operator also hails from Gujarat. He moved to Morocco where he is involved in the drug trade.”

Mukhi, who was arrested after a nearly month-long chase, was the one who reportedly introduced Manoj Jain of Avon Lifesciences to Rathod, son of a former Gujarat legislator, an officer said. Mukhi knew Jain since he was the one who would supply chemicals to the Solapur unit of Avon Lifesciences.

Rathod, on the other hand, got to know him through a relative who stayed near Mukhi’s Sion residence. “Mukhi is the link in the Ephedrine’s route between Solapur and Gujarat,” said the officer.

Another senior officer said Mukhi had also made claims about another accused having met Goswami on two more occasions after their previous meeting where former former Bollywood starlet and Goswami’s partner Mamta Kulkarni was also present.

“We have to cross-verify his claims before we can confirm them to be true. Sustained interrogation of Mukhi should help us get more clarity on how the entire system operated,” the officer added.