Nagpur: An LSD consignment valued at Rs 1.7 lakh was seized on Friday, marking Nagpur’s first-ever bust of the powerful hallucinogen and signalling a dangerous shift from MD to acid-trip. Seventeen LSD dots came wrapped in perforated sticker sheets priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,800 each, said police.Code-named ‘million tree’, the seizure from two computer engineering students from a reputed college triggered intense police raids across the city. Sources said, LSD is rapidly replacing other synthetic stimulants as the preferred choice, particularly in elite campuses and upscale rave parties.Acting on a tip-off from a constable Raj Choudhary, a joint team of MIDC police, crime branch, anti-narcotics and bharosa cell units intercepted two students near Jaitala. A woman cop posed as a decoy customer before senior cops zeroed in on suspects. While the peddler managed to flee, students got trapped inside their apartment when cops moved in.Known as ‘last stage drug’ in local parlance, LSD triggers intense euphoria lasting 8-10 hours, said an insider. “Users place the tiny sticker on the roof of the mouth and chew for an immediate psychedelic effect,” he said, adding many youngsters from Jaripatka, Wardhaman Nagar, Khamla, Lakadganj, Civil Lines, Byramji Town and surrounding areas are suffering from addiction and acute withdrawal symptoms.Police sources confirm that till now Nagpur primarily witnessed seizures of ganja, cocaine, charas, brown sugar, MD and doda powder. “The entry of LSD marks a worrying phase, with the drug getting traction among students and the upper class. They are increasingly drawn to its clean, intense experience, making it the go-to substance at rave parties in farmhouses and luxury venues,” said a police official.Police commissioner Ravinder Singal said, ‘Operation Thunder’ has entered a new dynamic phase in the crackdown against drugs. The strategy combines intelligence-based operations, technology-driven surveillance, campus monitoring, youth awareness campaigns and community participation.
