Ephedrine haul case: US DEA team meets Thane police

A team of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today visited the Thane police in connection with a probe into the Rs 2,000 crore ephedrine haul case allegedly involving former actor Mamta Kulkarni and her partner Vicky Goswami, police said.
"Four officials of the US DEA met Thane police commissioner and discussed various aspects and developments in the case," an official said.
The US DEA officials had arrested Pakistani national, Asif Hafiz, in London recently, he added.
"Hafiz told the investigators about his links with the drug racket, which was unearthed by the Thane police," he said.
The DEA officials have already arrested drug lord Vicky Goswami from Kenya along with two others for their involvement in the drug racket, he said adding, "Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni is also an accused in this case."

Kulkarni and Goswami were declared proclaimed offenders in the case on June 6 this year by the sessions court in Thane, the official said.

"The crime branch team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Bharat Shelke, had raided a factory in Solapur last year and unearthed the massive ephedrine drug racket. So far at least 15 accused persons have been arrested in this case," he said.
As per the case history, the Thane police had arrested a Nigerian national in April last year and recovered ephedrine from him. Following his interrogation, police had arrested some other accused and eventually led them to Avon Lifesciences in Solapur, where they recovered 18.5 tonnes of ephedrine.

The police then arrested the senior production manager of the unit. Further interrogation revealed that Goswami was one of the top operatives of the racket.
Ephedrine, the sale of which is banned in India, is popularly used overseas to treat asthma and bronchitis. Its abuse is known to cause euphoria, hypertension and nausea. It is also used to produce the popular narcotic methamphetamine.