MD on credit, Hawala payments: Inside the Drug Network busted in Amravati

 

 

 

In the Mephedrone (MD) drug seizure case in Amravati, investigators found that the contraband was supplied on credit from Mumbai, with payments planned through the hawala network. The case has revealed how drug dealers avoid banks and cash transactions while moving large quantities of narcotics across cities. According to officials, the accused had sourced the MD directly from Mumbai. “The drug was supplied on credit. The source in Mumbai wanted to sell MD in bulk quantity, which is why the consignment was given without upfront payment,” an official said. The investigation has so far identified four accused in the case. One of them has a criminal record and was earlier arrested by Amravati City Police in December last year in a 70-gram MD seizure case. However, he was later released on bail. After bringing the drug from Mumbai, the accused reached Amravati with a clear plan. They intended to distribute the MD to small-time drug sellers operating in different local areas of the city.

 

“They were carrying the drug in a vehicle and were preparing for local distribution when the DRI team intercepted them,” the official said. Before the drugs could reach street-level peddlers, the agency busted the racket. Investigators have also uncovered a strong financial angle in the case. Since the MD was taken on credit, payment was to be made only after the drug was sold in the local market. “The money was planned to be routed through the hawala network. Initial payments were to be made through illegal channels to avoid detection,” said an officer familiar with the financial investigation.

 

The accused have been identified as Awez Arif Ahmed (25), Mustakeen Khan Abdul Taher Khan (30), both residents of Chandur Bazar, and Parvez Sheikh Nasir (32) and Faizal Khan Ansar Khan (22), both from Amravati. The four accused were produced in the court where they were granted judicial custody. Officials believe the bulk supply and credit-based transaction point to a larger manufacturing and distribution setup. Earlier, drug manufacturing units were busted near Nashik, Satara and Wardha.

 

Now, agencies suspect that a similar factory may be operating near Mumbai. “The fact that such a large quantity was given on credit suggests confidence of the supplier and an organised manufacturing base,” an official said. Interestingly, the accused were found to be living in small, modest houses, giving no outward signs of involvement in a high-value drug trade. “This seizure is not an isolated incident. It is part of a much larger drug syndicate operating across districts in Maharashtra,” an official said.