MD racket busted: five in custody till June 29 for trafficking drugs from pharma waste

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Five accused arrested for trafficking MD powder extracted from pharma company waste in Waluj MIDC have been remanded in police custody till June 29. NDPS inspector Geeta Bagwade told the court that the accused ran the racket under the guise of a scrap contract.

Baban Khan (65), his sons Kaleem (41) and Salim (35), driver Shafiful Rehman (45), and Raj Ajure (38) from Uttar Pradesh were arrested between June 21 and 23. NDPS officials seized 2.473 kg of MD powder, two tempos, and other material worth Rs 1.43 crore during a raid at a Sajapur chowk warehouse. Baban Khan, who has handled scrap contracts for Mylan Pharma since 2011, allegedly extracted MD powder from waste generated during the production of AIDS and cancer medicines. He supplied it to drug traffickers in Mumbai, Gujarat, and other states. Prosecutor Sudhir Bansode informed the court that Khan also used Bitcoin for transactions. Police are probing possible involvement of pharma company employees.

VIP treatment row at police station

A video showing the accused receiving VIP treatment at Waluj police station sparked backlash online. Deputy commissioner of police Prashant Swami said three officers have been marked for suspension. Formal action is awaited.