Police Bust ₹12,000 Crore Drug Network In Mira-Bhayandar, 12 Arrested

Foreign woman among those held; massive seizure of chemicals and narcotics from Telangana factory

Mira Road (Sajid Mahmood Sheikh): In one of the largest drug seizures in Maharashtra’s history, the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar Police Commissionerate has uncovered a sprawling narcotics operation with an international trail.

During a press conference on Saturday, Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik revealed that the crime branch had seized 35,000 litres of chemical substances and 10,000 litres of processed powder, with an estimated international value of ₹12,000 crore. The crackdown followed weeks of surveillance under the “Drugs-Free Maharashtra” campaign, which has so far led to 61 arrests and narcotics worth ₹11 crore being seized statewide.

The breakthrough came when police intercepted a foreign woman carrying narcotics worth ₹25 lakh. Her interrogation led investigators to a factory in the Cherlapally industrial area of Telangana, which was posing as a chemical manufacturing unit.

When the police raided the premises, they discovered a large-scale production and storage facility for synthetic drugs, pointing to an organized supply chain spread across India. The factory owner was among the 12 arrested suspects, who are now under investigation for their roles in the syndicate.

Police officials said that the narcotics were meant for distribution across major Indian cities, raising alarms about the scale of the cartel’s reach. “This is not just a local supply chain, but a network with deep links across the country,” Commissioner Kaushik stressed.

The crackdown highlights the growing challenge of industrial-scale drug manufacturing in India, often masked as legal businesses. Authorities believe further arrests are likely as the investigation widens.