Amitesh Kumar the Police Commissioner of Pune, and his team seized drugs worth Rs. 3000 crores in Pune. In recent days, the city of Pune has been abuzz with discussions about the drug mafia involving Lalit Patil. Due to the exposure of the drug racket in Pune and its international connections revealed by this case, attention has once again turned towards the drug racket. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar’s team through their swift actions, have seized around 1700 kilograms of Mephedrone intended for smuggling across the country and abroad. This operation, conducted by ten teams of the Pune Crime Branch, has led to raids in various locations, including Pune district, Daund, Delhi, Karad, Sangli, and Bangalore. Remarkably, the investigation has even extended to London, where certain suspicious substances have been traced which, the police believe were sent through courier services.
With Pune emerging as a hub for drug activities, the seizure of 1700 kilograms of MD highlights the magnitude of the issue. Additionally, in Delhi, five suspects have been apprehended in connection with the case. Raids related to MD trafficking have been conducted in Daund, Mumbai, Delhi, and various parts of the country. A search operation has also commenced in the Sangli district. For further investigation into a case indicating the global scale of this racket fifteen teams of the ‘Crime Branch’ are dispatched out of Pune to different places. Police also claim clues to be found indicating a consignment of such illicit substances was transported to London via courier services, with this apprehension the value of these items goes to over three thousand crores.
The recent crackdown by Pune city police has resulted in the seizure of more than 1700 kilograms of MD, exceeding the previous haul. Police authorities have also confiscated MD worth over three thousand crores. Notably, in the tranquil neighborhood of Bhairav Nagar in Vishrantwadi, a warehouse yielded 55 kilograms of the substance, while around 500 kilograms were found in a factory in the Kurkumbh MIDC area. The factory was allegedly involved in the production of MD. According to information obtained from one of the arrested suspects, the manufacturing of MD was carried out in a factory located in the Kurkumbh MIDC area. So far, approximately 3000 crores worth of MD has been seized. This detailed information has been provided by Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
Briefing the press the Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said, “Detailed information regarding the eight currently detained suspects will be provided to you shortly. Everyone’s role is currently under verification, including those involved in manufacturing these drugs, providing expert technical support, other kingpins orchestrating the entire racket, couriers responsible for transportation, agents within the supply chain, and the ultimate recipients of the supply chain. We are making efforts to trace every individual involved in the chain up to the final recipient. While eight suspects have been arrested, the possibility of further arrests cannot be ruled out. We had mentioned earlier that one individual is of Indian origin but currently holds a foreign nationality, which necessitates necessary action against the accused. Now, the individual roles of each suspect are yet to be fully disclosed. Only to the extent that, with eight arrests made, the process of apprehending other suspects is underway. Amitesh Kumar further added, “Currently, our investigation is in a very preliminary stage. Immediate action will follow once we recover all relevant information. Our complete focus is now heavily on the operations, and we are endeavoring to uncover any unexplored links. Details regarding everyone’s role will be revealed to you later. While some contrabands may have been sent outside the country through couriers, some parcels have been traced to London. There is indeed no official estimation as of now, but contrabands totaling 1700 kilograms have been seized so far, with a total value of approximately 3000 crores. Once the forensic reports for each individual are received, you will be provided with detailed information. The recovery is estimated to be around three to three and a half thousand crores.” In Oct. 2023, Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ahmedabad in a joint operation seized drugs worth nearly Rs 250 crore comprising a total of 4.5 kg of mephedrone, 4.3 kg of ketamine and another mixture of mephedrone weighing about 9.3 kg from “Mahalakshmi Industries”, situated in Paithan MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) area in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. Till the last moment, the Aurangabad police were unaware of this business as well as the raid. Key conspirator Jitesh Hanoriya, originally a resident of Botad district in Gujarat and co-accused Kumavat was arrested under the provisions of NDPS Act, 1985.