Cops snoop on ‘cool’ hangouts as drug overdose claims youth

THANE: A mystery death of 26 year-old Naupada resident last week, allegedly due to over dose of the lethal mephedrone, popularly known as MD or ``Meow Meow’’ has triggered a sense of panic and shock in this sleepy heartland of the lake city.
The youth from a middle-class Gujarati-speaking family, whose identity is being withheld on request from the medical team here, was rushed to a swank hospital in the Naupada area about four days back.
''His pulse was dropping and the heart beats were slow. The boy was restless and after a diagnosis it was evident that he was a victim of over dose of the MD. His condition deteriorated and he was put on the ventilator for the last two days but it was a case of multi-organ failure. The chemical tests revealed that he was an addict and the urine reports showed presence of contraband,’ the doctor told TOI on conditions of anonymity.
The incident has brought to fore the fact that the drug menace has now reached the door-steps of the localities where smoking or consumption of alcohol was considered a taboo. It is believed that the MD powder is an ecstasy drug and is said that anyone on the lookout for the drug do not have much difficulty in locating the drug-pushers in the area.
The death of the 26-year-old has compelled the police to be on a hawk-eye vigil of the area and a team of plain clothes policemen are checking out the hang-out spots of the youths. In fact, a week back the police here arrested a street-side paan vendor from the `B’ cabin area in Naupada with charas weighing 2.8 kg said to be worth Rs 2.80 lakh.
A police officer told this news paper that close friends and associations of the 26-year-old, who worked as a graphic designer, will be under the spotlight and will be questioned to trace the source of the contraband.
Inquiries reveal that a police case has not been registered as the post-mortem report of the youth has indicated that the cause of the death was due to multi-organ failure.
“We have got leads in the case and information is trickling in from the victim’s friends about his habits and the source of the drug,” a police official said.
The MD powder has gained popularity among the youngsters as it’s far cheaper than the any other drug and costs around Rs 500 per gram unlike the cocaine which is priced exhorbitantly at Rs 2,500-3,000 per gram. Also, the effects of it are almost similar to other amphetamines and ecstasy. Hence, the demand, inflow and smuggling has soared in the recent times which evident by death of Thane youth and number of raids conducted by the police in Mumbra.
Earlier those arrested for peddling MD were booked under section 328 states, which simply translates to causing hurt by means of poison, etc with intent to commit an offence. However the drug-pushers would walk out on bail immediately as MD was not on the listed drugs under the NDPS act.
However, the rising incidents of MD abuse compelled the Mumbai police to advise the Union government to include MD into the banned drugs list so that culprits could be booked under the stringent provision of the anti-drug law.