Mumbai: Crime branch nabs man with 1 kg mephedrone
The crime branch said it had received a tip-off about two persons with a large quantity of mephedrone arriving in the city.
According to police, he was carrying 1.02 kg mephedrone, which is a commercial quantity as per law. (Representational)
The crime branch on Tuesday seized over 1 kg mephedrone following the arrest of a man from Sewri even as another accused managed to flee. The accused worked as a driver in Saudi Arabia and later got into smuggling of narcotics following an injury on his foot.
The crime branch said it had received a tip-off about two persons with a large quantity of mephedrone arriving in the city.
This is an aberration to the general trend seen over the past year where drug peddlers carried only a small quantity of mephedrone — usually below 50 grams which is the commercial quantity for mephedrone — in order to evade stringent sections.
The Crime Branch (Unit IX) said its team received a tip-off about two men who were to come to Sewri with mephedrone or Meow Meow, popular as a cheaper substitute of cocaine. Based on the tip-off, a team led by inspector Daya Nayak laid a trap for Salim Haroon Khan and Imran Shoeb Khan.
According to police, when the team reached Adamji Jeevaji Chawl at Sewri cross road, Imran fled from the spot while Salim was apprehended. According to police, he was carrying 1.02 kg mephedrone, which is a commercial quantity as per law.
In the past year, peddlers have been carrying smaller quantities so that they are not caught with commercial quantities. According to police, the cost of the seizure is Rs 2.04 crore in the ‘international market’.
An officer said a case has been registered at RAK Marg police station and the accused has been arrested. An officer said that Salim worked as a driver in Saudi Arabia before he returned to the country and worked as a driver for an Amboli-based builder. Recently, he had sustained an injury on his foot because of which he could not continue with the work.
“It was then that Salim came in contact with Imran from whom he procured the contraband to supply it to other peddlers,” said DCP (crime) Raj Tilak Roushan.
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