Kolhapur, 23 August 2026: Maharashtra Police's Anti‑Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on Saturday raided a poultry farm in Hajgoli village, Chandgad taluka, and uncovered an illegal mephedrone manufacturing operation, seizing contraband and chemicals with an assessed value of ₹1.13 crore, officials said.
The raid, led by ANTF and carried out by investigating officer Inspector Nitin Bodhe, resulted in the arrest of six people, including the farm owner Pappu Vitthal Malatwadar, according to a statement quoted by police. M M Makandar, Superintendent of Police (SP), ANTF, confirmed the arrests.
“Six persons, including the poultry farm owner Pappu Vitthal Malatwadar, have been arrested during the action,”
How the probe led to Chandgad
The ANTF said the action in Chandgad was the result of an ongoing investigation that began after arrests in the Mumbai metropolitan region. On April 4, police in Mira‑Bhayandar, Vasai‑Virar apprehended Firdos Qureshi at Nayanagar on Mira Road in Thane district with 1.324 kg of mephedrone, an amount police estimated at ₹2.64 crore. Her husband, Arbaz Qureshi, was later arrested after detectives established his role in procuring the consignment.
The probe expanded after teams uncovered an illicit manufacturing unit in Mumbai's Gorai, where investigators seized raw material and chemicals that may have been used to produce mephedrone with a potential market value of about ₹100 crore. That part of the probe was handed to ANTF, which followed leads to Kolhapur district.
Raid details and evidence
ANTF personnel, acting on information obtained from earlier arrests, raided the poultry farm premises at Hajgoli. During the operation, sleuths seized ready contraband, raw chemicals, laboratory apparatus and processing equipment, the ANTF's press release said. The total assessed value of items seized in Chandgad was given as ₹1.13 crore.
- Location of raid: Hajgoli village, Chandgad taluka, Kolhapur district
- Arrests: Six, including poultry farm owner Pappu Vitthal Malatwadar
- Seizures at Chandgad: Contraband, raw chemicals and lab apparatus worth ₹1.13 crore
- Earlier linked seizures: 1.324 kg mephedrone (Thane) valued at ₹2.64 crore; raw materials in Gorai with potential value ~₹100 crore
Inspector Nitin Bodhe was named as the investigating officer in the ANTF statement announcing the Chandgad action. Police said interrogations of earlier accused, including Irfan Salim Khan of Mira Road, Thane, helped identify the poultry farm as the clandestine production site.
Local implications and police follow‑up
The discovery of a drug production setup inside an agricultural facility highlights concerns about misuse of rural and peri‑urban premises for illegal manufacturing. Chandgad is a taluka with many small farms and poultry units; police said the site was chosen because such premises can offer cover and storage space.
ANTF and local Kolhapur police are continuing the probe to trace the distribution chain, other locations used in the racket and any additional accused. FIRs and relevant charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act have been invoked in linked cases, police noted.
| Location | Seizure / Finding | Estimated Value |
|---|---|---|
| Hajgoli, Chandgad (Kolhapur) | Contraband, chemicals, lab apparatus | ₹1.13 crore |
| Nayanagar (Mira Road, Thane) | 1.324 kg mephedrone | ₹2.64 crore |
| Gorai (Mumbai) | Raw materials and chemicals possibly for production | ~₹100 crore (market estimate) |
Police have detained the six accused and are examining records, mobile data and supply routes to map the network. Authorities cautioned that investigations remain active and further arrests or recoveries may follow.
Residents of Chandgad and nearby areas expressed surprise that a poultry farm could be used in this manner, saying it underscored the need for tighter checks on unusual activity at agricultural premises. Local administration officials did not immediately comment beyond the ANTF statement.
The case will be handled under the NDPS framework; the ANTF said it will coordinate with Mumbai and Thane units to pursue the broader racket uncovered by the multi‑district probe.
