Maharashtra police bust Rs12,000 Cr Mephedrone racket in Cherlapally, 12 arrested
Senior officers said the seizure including cash, drugs, vehicles and equipment is valued in crores
By Newsmeter Network
Hyderabad: In a major breakthrough against the narcotics trade, Mumbai’s Crime Investigation Branch dismantled an industrial-scale mephedrone (MD) manufacturing unit in Cherlapally, Hyderabad.
Acting on leads from an earlier arrest in Mira Road, the team seized large quantities of the synthetic drug, precursor chemicals, and arrested 12 suspects linked to the racket.
Mira Road Arrest Sparks Probe
The operation began on August 8, when Mumbai police apprehended Fatima Murad Shaikh (23), alias Molla, a Bangladeshi national, near Kashimira bus stop in Mira Road. Officers recovered 178 grams of mephedrone, Rs 23.97 lakh in cash, and valuables, valuing the seized drug at Rs 9 crore.
A case was registered under multiple provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
Telangana Link Unearthed
During questioning, Shaikh revealed that her supply line originated in Telangana. Acting swiftly, a 15-member team — including three senior officers — was dispatched to Hyderabad to verify the lead.
Raid on Cherlapally Facility
On September 5, investigators zeroed in on Vagdevi Laboratories Pvt Ltd in Navodaya Colony, Cherlapally. The site was operating as an illicit MD manufacturing hub.
“We have arrested the owner and a chemical analyst connected to the unit,” said an officer involved in the raid.
Massive Seizure of Drugs and Chemicals
Inside the facility, police found:
5.8 kilograms of mephedrone
35,500 litres of precursor chemicals
950 kilograms of powder and raw materials
27 mobile phones, four vehicles, weighing machines, and manufacturing equipment
The findings confirmed the unit’s ability to produce the drug on an industrial scale.
Senior officers supervise crackdown
The operation was led on the ground by Inspector Pramod Badakh, with supervision from the Additional Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime). Twelve individuals have been arrested so far as part of the ongoing investigation.
Industrial-scale threat
Officials said the factory was equipped to pump large quantities of the narcotic into markets across regions, highlighting the scale of the network and the potential damage thwarted by the crackdown.
