Pune: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking in Pune, Lonikand police have arrested six people and seized mephedrone (MD) drugs and assets worth Rs 41.96 lakh. The action was carried out through four separate operations, officials said.
Police recovered a total of 175 grams of MD powder during the raids. The accused were identified as Punjaji Jaychandra Chowdhury (40) from Wagholi; Rajendra Keru Tele (35) from Shikrapur; Karan Sachin Mohite (21) from Sanaswadi; Bhagirathsingh Sajjansingh Rajpurohit (28), originally from Rajasthan and living in Manjari; Adinath Dashrath Shirke (29) from Manjari; and Yogesh Laxman Chavan (37) from Shirwal in Satara district.
The operation was part of a special drive launched in Pune to control drug trafficking. Acting on instructions from Senior Police Inspector Sunita Rokade, police teams increased surveillance and tracked suspected drug peddlers.
Based on a tip-off received by constables Kailas Salunke and Swapnil Jadhav, a trap was laid at Katkewadi in Lonikand. Police caught Punjaji Chowdhury and seized 21 grams of MD worth Rs 4.37 lakh along with a mobile phone. The total value of the seizure in this case was Rs 4.87 lakh.
In another operation on April 20 at Perne Phata, police arrested Rajendra Tele and Karan Mohite. They recovered 59 grams of MD worth Rs 11.83 lakh. A car, mobile phones, and cash were also seized, taking the total to Rs 14.10 lakh.
Further investigation led police to Bhagirathsingh Rajpurohit. From him, officers seized 21 grams of MD worth Rs 4.28 lakh, along with a car, mobile phone, and cash. The total value of this seizure was Rs 8.34 lakh.
During questioning, police traced Yogesh Chavan and arrested him. From his possession, 72 grams of MD worth Rs 14.50 lakh were recovered.
In total, 175 grams of MD drugs were seized, and all six accused were taken into custody. The operation was carried out under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police Somay Munde, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Nutan Pawar. The team was led by Senior Police Inspector Sunita Rokade along with PSI Arjun Bedgude, Tukaram Suravase, and other police personnel.
