New modus operandi of drug-mixed cakes baffles NCB in Mumbai

The sensational discovery of “cakes with drugs” in Mumbai has shocked the investigators, prompting the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to intensify the probe.

On Saturday, the federal anti-drug agency arrested three persons after a raid in a bakery at Orlem, Malad in Mumbai. During the raid conducted on the bakery on Saturday night, ‘brownie weed cakes’, ‘edible pot brownie' and ‘weed pot brownie’ weighing 830 grams along with 35 gram of marijuana were seized.

In the last three days of investigations, the NCB has found that custom-made drug cakes were being delivered to some high-profile people. A massive manhunt has been launched to track down the “mastermind” behind the racket.

The NCB intercepted three individuals, including a woman and Jagat Chaurasia, who has been identified as the supplier.

Chaurasia was arrested in Bandra on the same night and found to be in possession of 125 grams of marijuana.

“This is the first-of-its-kind case that we have detected…further investigations were in progress,” NCB’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede said.

“This is the first case in India in which the edible weed is used for baking cake. One may not be able to distinguish between regular baked goods and those containing cannabinoids which tend to have a slightly green tinge and often emit a faint cannabis smell,” NCB sources said.

“A cannabis edible or edible weed pot brownie is a food product (either homemade or produced commercially) that contains cannabis extract as an active ingredient. Edible weed pots are a way to consume cannabis. Cannabis edibles may affect people for a longer period than smoked cannabis,” a NCB statement said.

“The important base to all food edibles is that it has fat that has been infused with THC (a psychoactive compound in cannabis). In other words, any food that contains butter, oil, milk, or any fatty substance can be turned into an edible. Examples of cannabis-infused foods include baked goods, candy, potato chips, and more,” it said.