Sakinaka police have just scored a major victory in the fight against drugs, busting a mephedrone (MD) manufacturing factory in Vasai and seizing a huge stash of drugs and equipment worth over ₹8.15 crore (that’s more than a million bucks!).
It all started on April 24, when police nabbed Sadique Sheikh, a 28-year-old drug dealer. During questioning, Sheikh spilled the beans about a factory operating in Vasai. Acting on this information, the police raided a mephedrone factory cleverly hidden inside a paver block making company. Inside, they found 4 kg of MD drugs worth a whopping ₹8 crore, along with all the equipment needed to produce the stuff.
In addition to Sheikh, police also arrested Siraj Panjwani and Syed Irani. What’s interesting is that these guys already had NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) cases against them, with two cases involving the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and one with the Thane police. It seems they just couldn’t stay out of trouble!
The main guy behind the operation, Kaluram Chaudhary, is still on the run. Police are actively searching for him and are confident they’ll bring him to justice soon.
The Sakinaka police have been on a roll lately, cracking down on drug operations across the region. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone X), Sachin Gunjal, this latest bust is part of a larger effort that has led to the seizure of ₹450 crore worth of drugs since 2023. They’ve taken down factories in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, making this their fifth major drug-related action.
The Sakinaka police got the initial tip about a drug-selling operation on April 24. They set up a trap at Kajupada, Sakinaka, and caught Sheikh red-handed with 53 grams of MD worth around ₹10 lakh. Sheikh then led them to Panjwani, who was arrested in Mira Road on April 26.
Panjwani revealed that Kaluram Chaudhary was the mastermind behind the mephedrone manufacturing and sales. Chaudhary was running the factory at Kamangaon in Vasai.
Within just 60 hours of getting the initial information, the police had successfully busted the entire operation. The raid at factory turned up approximately 4 kg of MD drugs, along with refrigerators and a centrifugal machine used for drug production. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gunjal estimates the total value of the seized items at around ₹8.04 crore.
Senior Police Inspector Yogesh Shinde and his team from the Sakinaka police station carried out the operation, under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone X), Sachin Gunjal.
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