In a recent development in the drug bust case, the Pune Police Crime Branch has learned that the racket is much wider, involving numerous individuals, including a main mastermind who remains unidentified. Police investigations have also revealed the modus operandi used by the accused to transfer drugs to various locations, including the whereabouts of Sonam Pandit, girlfriend of the accused Sandip Dhunia. The police have also sought assistance from central agencies, which have asked Interpol to issue red-corner notices for Sandip Dhunia and Virendra Singh, who are currently in Kuwait.
Following the arrest of 11 suspects in the case, ongoing investigations have uncovered further crucial information. During questioning of one of the accused, Haider Shaikh, police learned about the operations of the team and the transportation of raw materials to the Kurkumbh factory, where drugs and raw materials worth ₹3,500 crore were seized. Sources reveal that the raw material was transported from Vishrantwadi to the Kurkumbh area, where the first MD seizure took place.
Haider revealed that a tempo was used to transfer the material to the Kurkumbh area. Investigation revealed that the tempo, loaded with around 350kg of MD raw material, was parked in Vaibhav Colony at Vishrantwadi. Acting swiftly, the police seized the tempo parked 3km away from the location where the drug was first seized.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar stated that the seized substance contains chemical components used in the production of drugs such as mephedrone and meth. Raw materials concealed in the tempo have been confiscated and will be forwarded to the forensic laboratory for examination. He also informed that mephedrone has been smuggled into the country and abroad and was manufactured in a factory located at Kurkumbh on the Pune-Solapur highway.
The police have discovered that the drugs were sent to Goa, Bengaluru, and Sangli by road, with the money collected from the drug deals sent to Delhi through a hawala racket from Pune. Investigations have revealed that Haider was the main operator in Pune, with Dhunia in contact with him. However, it was revealed that Dhunia is not the main mastermind, prompting the police to search for more details.
Additionally, the police have found the rental agreement of Sonam Pandit, the alleged girlfriend of Dhunia, who resided in the Vishrantwadi area. The police are currently searching for her location for further clues. During the investigation, the names of Lala and Jatin emerged, and the police are actively searching for them. Furthermore, the police are questioning over 15 drug peddlers from Pune for additional details on the drug racket.
