DRI seized 500kg of Ketamine — 200kg from Andheri & 300kg from company's Sangli factory — valued at Rs3.6 crore on the illicit market.
In one of its biggest seizures, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Wednesday night seized more than 500kg of Ketamine Hydrochloride and arrested four people, including Abhijeet Konduskar, 29, managing director of Kamud Drugs Private limited (KDPL).
According to the DRI, 20 cardboard cartons containing 200kg of Ketamine Hydrochloride were seized from Andheri (East) while they were being ferried by another accused, Sandeep Ahire, allegedly at Konduskar’s behest. The consignment is valued at Rs70 lakh in the illicit market. The seizure was made after DRI officials laid a trap for a silver Tata Sumo which was believed to be carrying the consignment to be received by another accused, Jayantilal Kothari.
In another search of KDPL’s factory premises in Sangli, the DRI seized 32 drums containing 300kg of Ketamine Hydrochloride worth Rs2,89,13,500. Factory workers said, the drums were transferred to a shed outside the premises on May 31.
The DRI alleged that Konduskar indulged in clandestine removal of Ketamine Hydrochloride from his factory in Sangli and selling the same in the illicit market. It said that Konduskar not only handled the cash sales of Ketamine Hydrochloride for KDPL but also indulged in cash sales of Mephedrone manufactured by Onkar Industries, Sangli.
Konduskar’s GM (marketing) Nilesh Mehta said in his statement that Sean, their international buyer from the UK, was meant to buy the 200kg seized in Andheri. The remaining 300kg seized from Sangli were meant for one Parag Mehta, the DRI said.
The DRI has ascertained that Konduskar gave his consent to Mehta to sell Ketamine in the illicit market and that he also received sales proceeds of Rs63 lakh and Rs54 lakh for 300kg and 200kg respectively. In his statement, Mehta revealed the involvement of hawala operator Amrut Solanki of Bandra (West).
Konduskar’s advocate Dinesh Tiwari said that his client was falsely implicated. “We will apply for a bail on Friday. All the accused have complained that they were beaten and were forced to give the statements,” said Tiwari. All the four arrested suspects were produced before the metropolitan magistrate’s court on Thursday and have been remanded in judicial custody till June 16.
The DRI said, Kothari said in his statement that he used to get phone calls from a friend in London regarding the delivery of the consignments at his office at White House in Andheri. He also admitted to have smuggled Ketamine out of India by concealing it in packets of washing powder. “None of the activities my client indulged in is over and above the government’s guidelines,” said Kothari’s lawyer Ravi Hirani.
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