Operation Alakh Niranjan: Pune Police Bust Interstate Narcotics Racket, Drugs Worth ₹3.45 Crore Seized

Pune Police have busted a high-profile, growing network of synthetic and high-grade narcotics under a special drive titled ‘Operation Alakh Niranjan’, officials said on Wednesday. The operation involved coordinated raids across Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mumbai and Goa, leading to the seizure of narcotics and related material worth approximately Rs 3.45 crore, they added.

The arrested accused have been identified as Swaraj Anant Bhosale (28), resident of Mumbai; Tushar Chetan Verma (21), resident of Susgaon, Pune; Sumit Santosh Dedwal (25), resident of Old Sangvi, Pune; Akshay Sukhlal Meher (25), resident of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; and Malay Rajesh Deliwala (28), resident of Mumbai.

The investigation started after a lead was obtained in a case registered at Khadki Police Station. Considering the seriousness of the offence and its reach among students, a detailed investigation was undertaken.

According to the police, during patrolling, the accused Tushar Chetan Verma was apprehended, leading to the registration of the case at Khadki Police Station. Further investigation revealed that he was procuring narcotics from Sumit Santosh Dedwal and Akshay Sukhlal Meher.

Upon interrogation, and after personal questioning by DCP Somay Munde, it was found that the accused had rented a flat in a densely populated area of Pimpri-Chinchwad, where they had set up a soil-based hydroponic ganja cultivation unit. The police destroyed the illegal setup and seized plants, equipment and manufactured stock.

The investigation was further expanded using technical analysis, leading police teams to Mumbai and Goa, where Malay Rajesh Deliwala, a key accused, was arrested. From his possession, police seized nine different types of narcotics, including ganja and hydroponic OG Kush, charas, MD drugs, psychedelic mushrooms, LSD papers, cannabis gummies, MAMD pills and CBD oil.

Moreover, equipment such as electronic weighing scales, cash-counting machines, sealing bags and other materials used in the illegal trade were also seized.

With the increasing spread of MD drugs, hydroponic ganja and other dangerous narcotics, the city is being seriously affected, particularly the youth and college students.

International Links and Financial Probe Underway

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4) Somay Munde said the arrested accused were directly linked to an international drug syndicate, supplying narcotics to both domestic and overseas peddler networks. The gang used hawala channels and cryptocurrency transactions for financial dealings. Police are continuing efforts to trace the entire financial and logistical network.

Under the NDPS Act, all accused have been arrested and are currently in police custody. During the operation, police have also frozen Rs 7.80 lakh found in various bank accounts, crypto wallets and foreign currency holdings of the accused. In total, narcotics and related material worth approximately Rs 3.45 crore have been seized.