Sangli MD factory bust: Mastermind learnt how to make drugs in Varanasi

MUMBAI: A day after the crime branch raided a drug factory in Sangli, investigations have revealed that the mastermind, Pravin alias Nagesh Ramchandra Shinde, 34, who ran the Mephedrone (MD) manufacturing unit, learnt how to make the synthetic drug stimulant from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. After he learnt about the manufacturing of high-quality MD, he started his own venture a few months back and purchased land in Sangli district, said police sources.

Shinde, who earlier lived in Thane, is an SSC graduate who charges ₹1 lakh per kilogram for the contraband he manufactures.

On Monday, Unit 7 of the Mumbai crime branch busted Shinde’s drug-making unit in Sangli district and allegedly seized 122 kg of high-quality mephedrone (MD), ₹15 lakh in cash, and gold worth around ₹253 crore. Six people, including Shinde, were arrested and are remanded in police custody till April 3.

The accused are identified as Parvin Bano Gulam Shaikh, 33, a resident of Kurla West, Sajid Mohammad Asif Shaikh alias Debas, 25, a resident of Mira Road, Ijaj Ali Imdad Ali Ansari, 24, and Adil Imtiyaz Vohara, 22, both residents of Surat, Gujarat.

Earlier, in this case, on February 16, the police arrested four people and seized 4 kilograms of MD from them. The accused are Vasudev Laxman Jadhav, 34, Prasad Mohite, 24, Vikas Malme, 25, and Avinash Mali, 28, are residents of Kavathe Mahakal in Sangli district, and Laxman Balu Shinde, 35, is a resident of Kolhapur district in Maharashtra. All four are in judicial custody.

“Shinde is the mastermind who manufactured the contraband with the help of Jadhav, Mali, Mohite and Mamle. After completing his SSC, he came to Thane, where he had four criminal cases registered against him, including one for extortion registered by the Kasarvadavali police in Thane, another for assault in Kalwa police station,” said a police officer.

The officer added that he came into the drug business a few years ago when he met a person in jail in 2016 and started selling contraband in the city.

“He later went to Varanasi, where he learnt to make high-quality Mephedrone. Later, Shinde bought a 12-acre plot at his native place, set up the laboratory over about half an acre of land a year ago and started manufacturing MD around seven months back. So far, he has manufactured over 1,000 kg of MD, said Datta Nalawade, deputy commissioner of police, crime branch.

He had bought all equipment like dryers, heaters, and various chemicals used for manufacturing MD, which was seized by the police during the raid, added Nalawade. “Till now, we have arrested all the people involved in the manufacturing and four peddlers, but others involved in the supply chain are still at large,” said the officer.

The police got the leads about the Sangli lab after they arrested four people in February and seized 3.641 kg of MD from them. Parvin was first caught by unit 7 on February 16 with a small quantity of contraband in Santacruz. After questioning, she confessed that Debas supplied her with the drugs, and he was also arrested the same day.

After their questioning, police later arrested Ijaj and Adil on February 18. From their tip-off, the police got the lead on the Sangli lab. After that, police inspector Atmaji Sawant of unit 7 and his team worked for several days in Irali village, located the factory and arrested six people.