Daijiworld Media Network - Mira-Bhayander

Mira-Bhayander, Oct 28: A day after Mumbai Police uncovered a massive drug manufacturing unit operating just 200 metres from the Pelhar police station in Nalasopara East, the Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik on Monday suspended Senior Inspector Jitendra Vankoti for dereliction of duty.

The suspension followed the seizure of mephedrone (MD) worth Rs 14 crore from a tin shed disguised as a chemical factory. The shocking discovery exposed serious lapses in local policing and prompted an internal inquiry to check whether police personnel were involved in the illegal operation.

According to the suspension order, Vankoti claimed ignorance about the drug factory functioning so close to his station. The order also stated that he had failed to conduct effective patrolling, gather intelligence from informants, and curb illegal activities in his jurisdiction. He has been directed to report to the MBVV Police Headquarters in Mira Road immediately.

Sources revealed that the 3,000-sqft unit had been running covertly during nighttime for nearly six months. The factory’s proximity to the police station has raised questions about possible complicity. “It is surprising that major drug busts in this area have been conducted by Mumbai Police and not the MBVV Police,” said activist Dharmendra Nigam.

This is the third major drug seizure in the region this year. In April, Sakinaka Police recovered MD worth Rs 8 crore from Vasai, followed by a record ?1,400 crore seizure in Nalasopara by the Mumbai Police Anti-Narcotics Cell four months later. The latest bust by Tilak Nagar Police and Zone 6 Anti-Narcotics Cell came after interrogation of four suspects in another drug case.

Meanwhile, Vasai-Virar City Municipal Commissioner Manoj Suryawanshi said the illegal shed near NH-48 will be demolished. Activists have demanded a crackdown on several other unregistered industrial units reportedly operating in the area.