Maharashtra Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha To Head 6-Member Anti-Drug Panel In MMR

Mumbai: Skill development minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha will head a high-level committee to create awareness against drugs in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The six-member committee will include the Commissioner of Police, collectors of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban, and two non-official members.

The formation of the panel comes in the backdrop of the Centre’s strict stance against drug menace. The committee will coordinate with various departments to prevent the cultivation of narcotic plants as well as the production, trade, transport, sale and consumption of drugs. It will also undertake awareness campaigns against drug abuse.

Meanwhile, thwarting a major drug smuggling bid connected to interstate racket, the NCB seized 702 kg of ganja worth ₹3 crore and arrested a duo, agency sources said on Friday.

Acting on specific inputs on Thursday, an NCB Mumbai team intercepted a truck in Gondia and its search led to the contraband's recovery. Accused duo, Prakash MD & Padamlal NM, revealed that the drug was sourced from Odisha. “It also came to light that the consignment was meant for drug syndicates based in Nagpur, Gondia, Pune and Mumbai. It was noted that these syndicates collaborated for the transportation in single bulk consignment rather than separate shipments,” said an NCB official.

In a separate case being probed by the Kalyan police, a notorious criminal, who was externed from Mumbai and Thane, has been arrested in connection with the recent seizure of 9.7 kg of heroin worth ₹34.18 crore.

The police said that he is the kingpin of an interstate drug syndicate. Amjad Pathan, 47, has as many as 20 criminal cases, including murder, against him. After being externed from Mumbai and Thane, he allegedly shifted his narcotics base to Nashik.

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