Thane: In a breakthrough under the ongoing district-wide anti-narcotics campaign, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) and Vasind Police Station team successfully apprehended a drug peddler and seized ganja worth Rs 2.1 lakh along with Rs 5 lakh in cash from his possession. The raid took place on May 15, at around 6:20 PM in the Shubhavastu Complex, Khativali village, within Vasind Police Station limits.
The action followed specific intelligence received by Police Constable Prakash Sail during routine patrolling. Acting swiftly on this tip, a team led by Vasind Police Station In-Charge Police Inspector Harshvardhan Barve, with the assistance of the LCB and other police personnel, raided flat I-404 in Shubhavastu Complex.
There, they apprehended one Vishal Vasant Shelar, 28, a resident of the same address, who was found in possession of 7 kg of ganja and a substantial amount of cash believed to be proceeds from illegal drug sales. The total value of the seized material is approximately Rs 7.1 lakh. A case has been registered against Shelar under relevant sections of the NDPS Act: 8(c), 20(b), 20(b)(ii), and 29.
This arrest is part of a special anti-narcotics drive initiated across Thane Rural District from May 1, 2025. Under the directives of Superintendent of Police D. S. Swamy and Additional SP Bharat Tangde, multiple task forces have been formed to crack down on drug networks.
Senior Police Inspector Suresh Manore of the LCB has played a pivotal role in coordinating these efforts by gathering confidential intelligence and deploying targeted teams. Further investigation is being led by Police Inspector Harshvardhan Barve, Vasind Police Station, as authorities continue to dismantle illegal drug operations across the region.
