Police busts drug syndicate, raids Palghar-based lab; 3 held

The MIDC Police in Mumbai on Tuesday said that it has busted an alleged drug syndicate involved in the production, supply, and sale of Mephedrone (MD) and arrested three suspects in connection with the matter.

The police said that it has also seized 566 grams of drugs worth Rs 22.64 lakh and the total value of the seizure, including vehicles and gadgets, stands at a Rs 36.57 lakh.

According to the police, the operation began late at night on June 7, 2025 at around 11:45 pm, when a red Skoda car speeding suspiciously from the Pump House Subway towards Kanosa Junction in Andheri East, was intercepted by patrolling officers API Mahendra Khangal and his team.

The vehicle was stopped at Kanosa Junction, and Farhan Gulzar Khan (36) from Jogeshwari East was taken into custody. The police found that he had at least 13 past criminal cases allegedly against him, police said.

A detailed search led to the seizure of Rs 2.8 lakh cash, 71 grams of Mephedrone valued at Rs 8 lakh, and the Skoda car valued at Rs 8 lakh, said an official.

Further investigations into the matter led to the arrest of another accused, Pratik Sudarshan Jadhav (24), a resident of Palghar. On June 10, the police nabbed him along with 215 grams of Mephedrone worth Rs 8.6 lakh and a Maruti Swift Dzire car worth Rs 4.6 lakh.

Following technical analysis and interrogation, the police traced the source of the drugs to a manufacturing lab in Palghar, the official said.

The third accused, Vijay Rajaram Khatke (43), a postgraduate in Chemistry (M.Sc), was arrested during a raid at a pharmaceutical lab in Tarapur MIDC in Palghar district of Maharashtra, he said.

The police seized 280 grams of Mephedrone valued at Rs 11.2 lakh and ready for supply allegedly from him, the official said.

The police said that so far, the investigation has led to a seizure of 566 grams of Mephedrone and a total seizure (drugs, vehicles, mobiles, cash) worth Rs 36.57 lakh was seized. Two vehicles and six mobile phones were also recovered by the police.

The operation was carried out under the directives of DCP Datta Nalawade (Zone 10), Senior Police Inspector Rajiv Chavan, along with PI (Crime) Mahesh Gukh and API Mahendra Khangal. Other team members included officers Anand Kashid, Mahadev Jagtap, and constables Raju Itkar, Tiger Mandale, Gautam Bade, Vishal Pisal, Abhijit Shahane, Sadanand Bhavsar, and others, who played a crucial role in executing the successful crackdown.

Source