Pune police uncover smuggling route; Mephedrone concealed in ready-to-eat food packets sent to London via Delhi courier firm

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Investigation into the Pune police's biggest-ever seizure of mephedrone has revealed that the banned drug used to be smuggled to London through a courier firm in Delhi after being concealed in ready-to-eat food packets, a top official said on Wednesday.

Pune police has so far seized approximately 1,700 kilograms of mephedrone and a couple of locations in Delhi, newswire PTI reported. Eight people have been arrested in this connection and their linkages are being investigated, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar told PTI.

"In the ongoing searches, our team has seized 720 kilograms of mephedrone in Pune, out of which around 600 kg was recovered from a manufacturing unit located in Kurkumbh MIDC area on Pune-Solapur Road on the city outskirts. In the ongoing operation in Delhi, so far 970 kg mephedrone has been recovered. The approximate value of the total contraband is estimated to be between Rs 3,000 crore and Rs 3,500 crore," he said.

In the Delhi seizure, a courier firm's name has cropped up, he added.

"We have learnt that some contraband was sent to London through a Delhi-based courier company after being concealed in ready-to-eat processed food packets," Kumar said, adding that one person from this courier firm has been detained.

The entire quantity of this drug was being manufactured at the unit based in Kurkumbh MIDC, Kumar added.

Also read: Pune Police seize staggering 600 kg mephedrone worth Rs 1100 crore; three arrested

He also said that besides Delhi and Pune operations, another operation is underway in Maharashtra's Sangli where some quantity of drugs has been seized.

"So far, we have arrested eight persons and their roles are being probed. Multiple teams of the Pune police have been prepositioned in various parts of the country in connection with the case," he said.

Kumar said the police had started the investigation with the seizure of mephedrone worth Rs 2 crore, which has now reached the magnitude of around 1,700 kg.

"We have successfully unravelled the national and international ramifications in the case. The police teams are working hard to destroy the supply chain in the present case," he said. (With inputs from PTI)