Cherlapally drug racket: Two suspects shifted to Mumbai in Rs 12,000 cr mephedrone case

Two suspects from Vagdevi Laboratories, arrested in the Cherlapally mephedrone racket, were taken to Mumbai after a transit warrant. Police estimate drugs worth ₹12,000 crore could have been manufactured, with 12 accused held so far in the multi-state operation.

Hyderabad: The two suspects who were nabbed in the mephedrone drug manufacturing racket at Cherlapally were produced before a local court in Kushaiguda on Saturday and after obtaining a transit warrant were taken to Mumbai.

An official of Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar Police said the two suspects Srinivas Vijay Voleti, owner, and Tanaji, a chemical analyst, of Vagdevi Laboratories Private Limited will be produced before the court on Monday. The police will seek their custody and investigate the case further. “Investigation so far revealed that they were supplying the mephedrone drug to a particular gang for the last one year,” said the official.

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The police had seized 5.79 kg of MD (Mephedrone), 35,500 liters of chemical solutions, 950 kg of powder, drug-making equipment, and other materials. So far, a total of 12 accused have been arrested.

The police said that from the quantity of material seized, drugs to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore could have been manufactured.

The overall seizure includes 5.968 kg of MD, 27 mobile phones, three four-wheelers, one two-wheeler, four electronic weighing scales, and raw materials for drug production, said the officer.

On August 8, 2025, officers first apprehended a Bangladeshi national, Fatima Murad Sheikh alias Molla (23), a resident of Mira Road Purva, near the Kashimira bus stop, with 105 grams of MD. A case was registered at Kashigaon Police Station under the NDPS Act, 1985, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.

Subsequently, investigations led to the arrest of nine more accused, with a total recovery of 178 grams of MD, Rs 23.97 lakh in cash, and valuables.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that the drugs were being sourced from Telangana. It is estimated that hundreds of kilos of the mephedrone drug has been manufactured and supplied in the market in Mumbai over the years.