A police constable has been arrested after 110 kg of illegal mephedrone drug worth "crores of rupees" in the street market was seized from his house.
The drug, popularly known as meow-meow and M-Cat, was recovered from the residence of constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe in a village under Khandala taluka in Satara district of Western Maharashtra, around 450km from Mumbai, police said today.
Kalokhe, attached with Marine Drive Police Station in South Mumbai, was arrested last evening after a search at his house in Kanheri village, police said.
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The constable now faces dismissal from service.
"Kalokhe was produced before a Satara Court which remanded him in police custody till March 16," said Abhinav Deshmukh, Satara Superintendent of Police.
The exact value of the drug is yet to be ascertained but it would be running into "crores of rupees", police said.
Meanwhile, officials of Mumbai Police inspected the locked cupboard of Kalokhe at Marine Drive Police Station and shockingly discovered 12 white crystal translucent, which appeared to be mephedrone.
"We have sent the recovered substance to forensic laboratory for examination. If it is proved to be mephedrone, a separate case would be registered by us (in Mumbai)," said Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) K M M Prasanna.
Kalokhe had taken leave saying his father had passed away. He tried to misguide the raiding party in Satara by saying he himself is a policeman and would not indulge in such illegal acts, police said.
However, Satara Police went ahead and carried out a thorough search of the premises which yielded 110 kg of mephedrone, packed in small plastic bags and concealed in a travel bag.
Satara Police suspect Kalokhe was about to move the consignment to Mumbai, where mephedrone is fast becoming a popular drug.
Mephedrone is sold in small quantities of 1gm for Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 and the highest concentration of the drug is in upscale South Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria has directed Additional Commissioner of Police (South) Krishna Prakash Singh to dismiss Kalokhe from service.
