Mumbai Crime Branch has busted a drug manufacturing factory in Solapur and arrested two brothers with mephedrone drugs worth ₹16 crore and also seized the raw material for making the drugs valued at ₹100 crore inside the factory.
Mephedrone, also known as ‘meow meow’ or MD, is a synthetic stimulant (a psychotropic substance) banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
According to the officials, both the Gawali brothers had failed Class 10 and had worked in a chemical factory for a few years. They, later, rented a space to set up laboratories on a 21,000 sq ft area, and for the past seven months, they have been operating the manufacturing unit. They were paying ₹30,000 rent per month and two watchmen were also hired for the structure.
The official added that the accused had come to Mumbai to distribute mephedrone a month ago and supplied it to local drug peddlers. He asserted that a probe is underway to identify their aides.
He added that from their premises, Police also recovered a diary from the premises which had formulas used to make the contraband.
Unit 9 of the Crime Branch arrested two accused Atul Kisan Gawli and Rahul Kisan Gawli from Khar area. The court has sent the duo to the custody of the crime branch till Thursday.