'Meow Meow' worth Rs 3,000 crore seized in Pune, Delhi: What is this drug?

About 1,700 kg of synthetic stimulant drug Mephedrone, commonly known as Meow Meow, worth Rs 3,000 crore has been seized by the police after raids at multiple locations across Pune and New Delhi. A total of five people have been arrested so far in connection with one of India’s biggest-ever drug haul.

This is not the first time that large quantities of Mephedrone have been recovered in Maharashtra. Last year, the Pune City police and its counterparts in Mumbai and Nashik busted a drug racket operated by kingpin Lalit Patil in a two-month-long operation, leading to the seizure of more than 150 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs 300 crore.

What is Meow Meow? How did the Pune Police carry out the drug bust? Let’s take a closer look.

What is mephedrone?

Mephedrone is a synthetically produced stimulant of the amphetamine and cathinone category, as per Indian Express. It is known by various street names such as Meow Meow, White Magic, Bubbles, M-Cat and Drone.

The drug comes in several forms including white powder with a yellowish shade, crystals, capsules and pills, according to Australia’s Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF).

The drug, which can be swallowed, sniffed or injected, produces effects similar to those of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and cocaine, including teeth grinding. As per ADF, it enhances users’ empathy and kindness and makes them feel “socially accepted and connected” to others.

The reports of the use of Mephedrone first emerged in 2007, when it started being sold on the Internet. While the recreational drug was banned in the United Kingdom in 2010, it continued to flourish at raves, as well as in Europe.

Meow Meow came under the radar of the US’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2011, two years after it entered the country, reported Rolling Stone.

In India, the drug was not part of the contraband list under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act till the early 2010s. However, after large quantities of the drug started being seized and many instances of its use as a narcotic in big cities emerged, Mephedrone was added to the list eventually in 2015, according to an Indian Express report.

The demand for Mephedrone has increased over the years which can be seen through the rise in the price of the drug. As per investigators, in 2021, one gram of Meow Meow was available in the illegal market at Rs 9,000. This rose to Rs 15,000 in 2022 and further to around Rs 20,000 (Rs 2 crore per kg) in present, the newspaper report added.

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Pune Police’s biggest drug overhaul

The police carried out raids at a chemical manufacturing factory in Pune’s Daund taluka, two godowns in Vishrantwadi and some shops in Delhi’s South Extension, reported Indian Express.

As of late Tuesday night, a total of 1,700 kg of the drug with an estimated worth of Rs 3,000 crore were recovered, as per the Pune Police.

Three people were arrested on Sunday by the Pune Police which reportedly seized 1.75 kg of Mephedrone (MD) worth Rs 3.85 crore from them. “During the investigation, we traced two godowns where another 55 kg of MD was found. Following the interrogation of the trio and based on inputs received from them, another operation was carried out in the Kurkumbh MIDC area and approximately 550kg of MD was recovered from a unit there,” Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar was quoted as saying by PTI.

As per Indian Express, the chemical factory, which was guised as a pharmaceutical unit in Daund’s Kurkumbh, was being used as a production line for Mephedrone.

“The investigation points to a nationwide network of Mephedrone production and trafficking with possible international linkages, in a sense that a portion of the contraband may have been destined for locations abroad. We have already found links of this racket to all the metro cities in India and at least six-seven major cities in Maharashtra,” Pune Police Commissioner Kumar told the newspaper.

Further probe led the Pune Police to two shops in Delhi’s South Extension. “A large stock of Mephedrone hidden in these shops was seized. Close to 400 kg of the drug was seized from these shops and some persons are being questioned in this regard,” a senior officer was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

As per preliminary investigations, the drug was being transferred from units in the Kurkumbh MIDC to storage facilities in Delhi, reported NDTV.

Two more people were detained on Tuesday. More suspects are being questioned. “We have already arrested three people who worked as couriers. Two more people have been apprehended and their interrogation was on,” a Pune crime branch officer said.

“Investigations are going on a war footing. Upward and downward linkages are being probed and our teams are working in close coordination with other agencies,” the Pune police commissioner said, as per PTI.

With inputs from agencies