A 26-year-old app cab driver in Mumbai, who allegedly worked as a drug supplier on the side, has led the police to a drug laboratory in Gujarat from where she obtained narcotics. The driver, identified as Muskaan Khan, and a habitual drug offender and alleged manufacturer, Wajiul Kamal Chaudhari (56), were arrested. Authorities confiscated a stash of 20 kilograms of liquid mephedrone (MD) valued at Rs 74 crore from the drug lab.
Arrest and Investigation
A team from the Sakinaka police station received a tip-off about Khan and kept her under surveillance. Khan, who lives in the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road area, used to supply drugs in the western suburbs, especially Sakinaka. She was apprehended on May 21 with 101 grams of MD. According to police, Khan had been working as an app cab driver for the past three years. She frequented clubs in Mumbai, where she first met Chaudhari. After obtaining drugs from him, she sold them at a 30-40% profit, police said.
The police team, led by DCP Datta Nalawade and including officers Pankaj Pardeshi and Dayanand Vanve, interrogated Khan. She guided them to a drug lab in Gujarat's Narmada district where MD was being produced. On May 26, the police raided the lab and arrested Chaudhari, who had leased the premises. In addition to liquid MD, the police found chemicals, flasks, heating metals, and other equipment. "The seized liquid mephedrone was sent to the state forensic science laboratory for verification. The forensic laboratory has confirmed its authenticity," said Nalawade.
Background of the Accused
Police stated that Chaudhari, a habitual drug offender, possessed the knowledge to manufacture MD. He was caught with 21 quintals of charas in 2001 and spent the next 10 years in prison in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. In 2017, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested him in Palghar with 238 kilograms of MD, estimated to be worth several thousands of crores. He remained in jail until 2023 in Thane prison. After his release, he resumed manufacturing MD.
Police said Chaudhari is a college dropout and is part of an organized gang of drug distributors. After manufacturing MD, he personally delivered it to the outskirts of Mumbai, where different suppliers collected it. Authorities are investigating the next link in the supply chain and the end consumers of the drugs.
