VASAI: In a major embarrassment for the Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police, a mephedrone (MD) manufacturing unit worth Rs 14 crore was discovered barely 200 metres from the Pelhar police station in Nalasopara East. Following the revelation, Senior Inspector Jitendra Vankoti was suspended on Monday for negligence.
The action came after Mumbai Police, not the local MBVV unit, uncovered the 3,000-sqft drug facility during a raid. The unit had reportedly been operating covertly at night for six months, posing as a chemical factory. MBVV Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik confirmed that a departmental inquiry had been ordered to probe potential lapses or complicity among local officers.
According to the suspension order, Vankoti admitted during the probe that he was unaware of the factory’s existence, despite its proximity to the police station. The order cited his failure to gather intelligence, patrol effectively, and curb illegal activities in the area. Vankoti has been directed to report to MBVV Police Headquarters in Mira Road immediately.
The bust has intensified scrutiny of the MBVV Police, as recent major drug seizures in the region have all been made by Mumbai Police. In April, Sakinaka Police recovered MD worth Rs 8 crore in Vasai, and in August, the Mumbai Police Anti-Narcotics Cell seized drugs valued at Rs 1,400 crore from Nalasopara.
The latest raid, conducted by Tilak Nagar Police and the Zone 6 Anti-Narcotics Cell, followed leads from four suspects arrested in another drug case.
Meanwhile, Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation Commissioner Manoj Suryawanshi said the illegal shed near NH-48 would be demolished. Activists have also alleged the presence of several unlicensed industrial units in the area and urged authorities to take wider action to prevent similar illegal operations.
