07 October,2026 11:24 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Police said the seizure included two types of prescription drugs in commercial quantities. Pic/Special Arrangement
The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a man and seized 9,800 psychotropic tablets worth around Rs 2.53 crore during a raid in Govandi on Tuesday, officials said.
The operation was carried out by the ANC's Worli Unit on October 6, following information about the alleged illegal sale of prescription drugs for recreational use, they said.
Acting on information from a police informant, the ANC team learnt that a man was allegedly storing and selling prescription tablets in Dr Zakir Hussain Nagar in Govandi.
Police verified the information before carrying out a raid at the suspect's residence. During the search, officers recovered thousands of psychotropic tablets, which are allegedly sold on the street as "buttons" for recreational drug use.
Police said the seizure included two types of prescription drugs in commercial quantities.
The ANC recovered 4,500 Nitrazepam (NITCOR-10) tablets, weighing 2.475 kg and valued at around Rs 1.98 crore.
It also seized 5,300 Alprazolam (PROCALM-1) tablets, weighing 689 grams and valued at around Rs 55.12 lakh.
The total seizure comprised 9,800 tablets, with the combined value estimated at around Rs 2.53 crore.
A case has been registered at Deonar Police Station under Section 8(c) read with Section 22(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Police said further investigation is underway to identify the source of the tablets and trace the wider network allegedly involved in their distribution.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharati, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Krishnakant Upadhyay, Deputy Commissioner of Police (ANC) Pournima Chougule-Sringi and Assistant Commissioner of Police Sudhir Hirdekar.
The operation was led by Senior Police Inspector Santosh Salunkhe of the Worli Unit, along with Police Inspector Digambar Patil, Police Sub-Inspector Rohit Sali and detection staff.
The investigation is continuing to establish the source and intended distribution network of the seized tablets.
