The Special Operations Group of Vadodara Police busted a unit manufacturing MD drugs in a small shed built on a farm in Moksi village of Savli taluka. The drug manufacturers had sold MD drugs worth ₹3.5 crore just eight days ago, as per reports.

Notably, the district SOG staff raided the farm of Jagdish Mahida on the road from Moksi to Raniya on Saturday evening. They seized 3.379 kg of MD drugs worth ₹3.37 crore and arrested both Mahida and Premchandkumar Mahanto (a resident of Parkwood, Palmwood, Panchvati in Gorwa), who were involved in drug production.

During the police investigation, it was found that Mahida, along with one Chirag Patel, started producing MD drugs with the assistance of Mahanto. Chemicals were sourced externally to manufacture the MD drug. 

Just eight days ago, 200 grams of MD drugs were sold to Patel. On Thursday, 186 grams of MD drugs were sold to Vipulsingh, a native of Aurangabad residing in Morbi, along with another person. The total value of the drugs sold to these two individuals amounted to approximately ₹3.5 crore.

Mahida and Mahanto were presented before the court on Tuesday. The police requested a 14-day remand, but the court granted an 11-day remand.

The police raised several crucial questions before the court, including identifying the main accused, the extent of the drug racket, and whether MD drug production was carried out earlier.

Mahida and Patel previously worked together at a company named BetaBlue in the outskirts of Moksi village two years ago. 

A year ago, Patel brought the necessary equipment to Mahida’s home and attempted to produce MD drugs. However, the final product failed, so they kept the batch at home. Three months ago, Patel brought Mahanto along, and for the past three months, the drug production process had been ongoing.

During the raid, police found a crude bill listing various chemical names inside the back cover of a mobile phone seized from the accused. Since Mahanto himself is a chemist, he personally processed the chemicals to manufacture MD drugs.

The police stated that on February 17, chemicals were purchased from a shop named ‘Sameer Traders’ in Chhani, and Mahanto processed them under Mahida’s instructions to produce MD drugs.

Mahida, a resident of Jalaram Colony in Moksi village, was also arrested in 2014 in an MD drug case by the CID Crime Unit. After two individuals from Anand district were caught with 500 grams of MD drugs in Ahmedabad, Mahida’s name surfaced as their supplier, leading to his arrest. At that time, Mahida spent nine months in Sabarmati Jail before being acquitted.