Pune Police Hands Over Rs 3,674 Crore Mephedrone Case to NCB Mumbai

Pune, 15th June 2024: Pune Police have transferred the investigation of a massive Mephedrone seizure worth ₹3,674 crore to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai. The seizure, amounting to 1,826 kg of Mephedrone, was made from a factory in Kurkumbh Industrial Estate, Pune district. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar confirmed that after conducting initial inquiries, the case files and evidence have been forwarded to the NCB.

The investigation began with the arrest of gangster Vaibhav alias Pintya Mane, along with Ajay Karosiya and Haider Sheikh, in connection with the smuggling and distribution of Mephedrone. Further raids led to the recovery of raw materials worth crores from Sheikh’s resort godown. Subsequent findings linked the seized Mephedrone from Vishrantwadi and Somwar Peth areas to the Earthchem Company in Kurkumbh. The company’s owner, Bhimaji Sable, chemical engineer Yuvraj Bhujbal, and Ayub Makandar were subsequently apprehended.

During the course of the investigation, arrests were made across Pune, Kurkumbh, Delhi, and Sangli. The nexus revealed that Sandeep Dhunia, alias Sam Brown, was the alleged mastermind behind the international smuggling operation. It was uncovered that Dhunia had been exporting Mephedrone manufactured at Earthchem Company to foreign destinations via Dubai and Nepal.

The seized quantity of Mephedrone, totaling 1,836 kg, holds an estimated international market value of ₹3,674 crore and 35 lakh rupees. Despite extensive efforts, Sandeep Dhunia remains at large, believed to have fled abroad. Investigations disclosed that Hyder Shaikh of Vishrantwadi supplied Mephedrone to Pappu Qureshi for distribution in Pune, Maharashtra, and Delhi. Qureshi, in collaboration with Dhunia and Shoaib Shaikh, operated a warehouse in Pune where police seized significant quantities of the contraband.