MD, Marijuana menace in Mumbai: Police register worrying rise in arrests and seizures in 2023
Mumbai: The increasing cases of drug abuse have worried the common people as well as the Mumbai Police, currently the new data of Mumbai Police shows that a total of 1,059 cases related to drugs like Mephedrone and Marijuana were registered this year. went. In these cases, the police have arrested 1,272 people involved in the consumption, supply or manufacturing of these drugs. Interestingly, the figures for 2018 show that this year has broken all previous records.
Danger of MD drug increasing since 2018
This month, the police managed to bust several syndicates allegedly involved in the production and supply of mephedrone drugs. After this many people were arrested. The new data highlights how widely mephedrone or MD has been supplied in the city since 2018 and how the numbers have been rising. Starting from 2018, only 34 cases related to MD were registered, leading to 42 arrests. Overall, the police managed to seize 94 kg of MD worth Rs. 10.64 crores. In the following years, 2019 and 2020, the numbers increased to 94 and 110 cases with 115 and 131 arrests, respectively. In 2021, seized MD amounted to Rs 32.29 crore, with 116 cases registered and 162 arrests made. In 2022, the year after COVID-19, the MD medicines seized saw a staggering increase of Rs 4886.50 crore, with 168 cases and 235 arrests. From January to October in 2023, 327 cases have been registered and 483 accused have been arrested, while MD drugs worth Rs 357.17 crore have been seized so far.
Marijuana, also known as ganja, cases and arrests have also seen an increase this year, according to statistics. Comparing the figures, with only 91 cases in 2018, the number rises to 732 in 2023. According to the police, ganja is one of the most consumed drugs, especially among youth aged between 25 to 35 years and school/college going children. In 2019, 322 cases were registered, leading to 352 arrests. After a dip in the numbers during COVID-19 with 249 cases and 272 arrests, the figures started rising again in 2021 to reach 346 cases with 415 arrests. In 2022, 478 cases were registered with 535 arrests and so far this year, 732 cases have been registered with 789 arrests. During these six years, 2021 saw the highest number of seizures, with 3,738 kg of marijuana seized, worth Rs. 7.41 crores.
“The gradual increase in cases registered over the last few years indicates that citizens mistakenly believe that ganja is a medicinal drug. Such misconceptions have put many lives at risk without understanding the side effects of the drugs. Our drug-free The Mumbai campaign aims to eradicate drugs of all types, making our society safe and secure,” said a senior IPS officer.**
Format: Year – Crimes Registered – Accused Arrested – Value (in Crore)
MD
2021 – 116 – 162 – 32.29 crores
2022 – 168 – 235 – 4886.50 crores
2023 – 327 – 483 – 357.17 crores
marijuana
2021 – 346 – 415 – 7.41 crore
2022 – 478 – 535 – 3 crores
2023 – 732 – 789 – 2.08 crores
