18.5 tonnes of drugs worth Rs 2000 crore seized in Thane; 5 people arrested

The raid which was followed by the arrest of five accused is so far a record in the history of any Narcotics Department in India.

Thane, April 16: The Thane police working along with the narcotics department of Thane Crime Branch, outskirts of Mumbai today seized 18.5 tonnes of drugs which has a market value of around Rs 2000 crore. The raid which was followed by the arrest of five accused is so far a record in the history of any Narcotics Department in India.

According to police the raid was conducted after a tip off provided by an informer to the police on Friday. A team comprising of more than 16 officers from Thane Crime Branch’s Narcotics department conducted a raid at an isolated location in Thane where drugs of different category was kept.

In last few days the Thane police is off the hook as the Crime Branch sleuths has seized 7 kg of ephedrine, a party drug which has a market value of Rs 3 crore. After the arrest of two men the Crime Branch officers claimed that they have busted a state-wide drug syndicate with the arrest of two men, including an employee of a pharmaceutical company. The second raid and seizure has taken Thane police including Mumbai police by surprise as this is one of the biggest drug haul in recent times. (Also Read: One person brain-dead after French drugs trial)

The Thane police officials believe that with the arrest of five accused, there are chances more such seizure in and across the state. The Mumbai police officials and the narcotics department of Mumbai police crime branch are also keeping a close watch on the development.

According to experts these drugs, especially party drugs are mainly stored in Thane region which is the outskirts of Mumbai (around 55 km from Mumbai) and is mostly consumed in Western part of Mumbai. The accused are booked under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) act and several other stringent acts of IPC.

In Mumbai the demand for ephedrine has been gaining popularity as meow meow is under surveillance since its inclusion of it under the NDPS Act last year.  So far the party drug has been under the legal wraps because there is not much of awareness in the legal system about the seriousness of it as a narcotic.