DRI Seizes Rs. 30 Crs Meow Meow Mephedrone

Drug Inserted in NDPS Act in Feb this Year

In a major operation spanning across States, the officers of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ministry of Finance detected and seized here a big haul of contraband psychotropic substance of the amphetamine class suspected to be Mephedrone weighing 500 Kgs around mid-night of 20th February, 2015. This is one of the biggest seizures of a psychotropic substance in recent times and the biggest seizure of Mephedrone, a stimulant of the amphetamine class, which gets its street name Meow Meow, from its chemical name 4-methylmethcathinone, or M-CAT. This is one of the biggest seizure of drugs in the country and certainly the biggest of Mephedrone.

The seized consignment is believed to be heading towards the West where its value is estimated to be worth more than US $5 Million (Approx. Rs. 30 crore). The contraband is suspected to have been loaded at Kurutuwadi in Sholapur, Maharashtra.

Acting on a specific intelligence, a truck coming from Kurutuwadi in Sholapur District in Maharshtra was intercepted after a hot chase after it reached the national capital, Delhi. The truck was stated to be carrying a consignment of papayas, but detailed search resulted in recovery of 13 sacks containing 500 kgs of the psychotropic substance Mephedrone along with the cover cargo of fruits. The contraband was kept along with papaya and was concealed under the tarpaulin used for covering the truck.

Two persons including the driver of the truck and a person who accompanied the truck after it reached Delhi have been arrested and produced before the Saket Court, New Delhi which has remanded both the accused to the judicial custody. The factory, where the seized drug was manufactured, has also been located in Sholapur. Further investigations are in progress.

In view of its abuse, Mephedrone was included under the NDPS Act on 5th February 2015 after a prolonged campaign by various enforcement agencies / state governments and the High Court, Mumbai. This is the first case in the country after its inclusion in the schedule to NDPS Act. Commercial quantity for this drug is fixed at 50 gm.

The contraband is extremely popular in the West and increasingly becoming a major drug of abuse in India. Extremely addictive with several debilitating side effects , its popularity in India is due to the fact that it was not considered a psychotropic substance and available easily

[Source: PIB (Mof) Press Release dated 22^nd February 2015]