Police seize MD worth Rs71 lakh in 6 months

Nashik: The city police — in a bid to intensify action against drug peddlers — seized drugs worth Rs71 lakh, registered 12 cases of mephedrone (MD) sales and arrested 24 people between Jan and June this year.Nashik commissioner of police Sandeep , on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, said, “The police have started a Say No to Drugs drive to spread awareness among the people about its ill-effects. In this regard, we have organised a social media competition to involve the public. The best awareness reels or posts will receive prizes.”The police said they registered cases across the city’s police stations over the past few years to stop drug peddling.

“As many as 23 cases were registered in 2025 wherein 65 people were arrested, leading to seizure of MD worth Rs 40 lakh,” a police officer said.In 2024, the police registered 11 cases, seized 446 grams of MD worth Rs 21 lakh, arrested 29 people, besides taking action against people selling other drugs like charas, ganja, bhang and amphetamines.From Jan 2024 till June, the police registered 84 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, arresting 182 people and seizing drugs worth over Rs2.4 crore.

In Oct 2023, the Mumbai police unearthed a drug manufacturing unit in Shinde village near Nashik Road, seizing drugs worth over Rs 300 crore.The unit was operated by drug lord Lalit Patil’s brother Bhushan Patil and his associates. Two days after this raid, the Nashik police busted a godown of MD, also rented by Bhushan Patil, from the same village, seizing drugs worth over Rs5.9 crore.