Mumbai: In a major crackdown against drug peddling in the city, the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a 50-year-old man for running his own drugs cartel for heroin supply in the city.
Rajesh Joshi was arrested on Saturday night along with drug dealer Krushnamurti Kawander, 42. Police have seized 6 kilogram of heroin from the two which is worth Rs 12 crore.
“This is significant as this is the first time that we have arrested a cartel operator. Joshi runs a cartel which is responsible for 80% of heroin supply in South Mumbai.
His arrest will impact the drugs supply in the city,” said Shivdeep Lande, Deputy Commissioner of Police, ANC. According to the ANC officials, the heroin supplied to Joshi from Rajasthan was later distributed to small dealers in the city who then passed it to their network of peddlers.
An ANC officer on the condition of anonymity said, “A person directly linked to the underworld supplies drugs to Joshi from Rajasthan, we have identified him,” he added.
Acting on a tip-off, Bandra unit of ANC laid a trap near Malad Railway Station and arrested Joshi and Kawander on Saturday. Four kilograms of heroin was seized from Joshi, a resident of Malad while two kilograms was recovered from Kawander, a resident of Gorai.
The two were arrested under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and were produced before the court on Sunday which remanded them to police custody.
