In a major drug bust, five individuals have been arrested in Indore for possessing mephedrone worth Rs 1 crore, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in Madhya Pradesh.
Five persons have been arrested for alleged possession of mephedrone worth Rs 1 crore in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, police said on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from the crime branch intercepted a car and two motorcycles on Tigaria Badshah Kankad Road, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Kumar Singh told reporters.
The accused tried to flee after spotting police, but their car rammed into a road divider, damaging its front portion, he said.
All five accused were nabbed at the scene, and 1 kg of mephedrone, worth Rs 1 crore, was recovered from the car, Singh said.
The police also recovered a country-made pistol and a cartridge from the accused, he added.
Mephedrone, also known as "MD" and "meow-meow", is a synthetic narcotic substance made from chemical compounds.
The arrested accused, Naveen Solanki (25) and Shankar Singh (33) were from Rajasthan's Jhalawar, Vikram Singh (31) and Narendra Singh (26) from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, and Govind Verma (29), is an Indore resident.
The official said Solanki was the kingpin of the gang.
"Solanki and Verma work at salons and operate bike taxis. The remaining accused were involved in farming," he said.
A case has been registered against the five accused under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Arms Act, police said.