Pune crime branch arrests four, seizes mephedrone and ganja worth Rs 8.40 lakh

The crime branch of Pune Police has arrested four people in two separate operations in the city. Police said two of them were preparing to sell MD, or mephedrone, and two were preparing to sell ganja. Material worth Rs 8.40 lakh was seized in the two operations, including 112 grams of MD and 6 kg of ganja.

The first operation was carried out by Anti-Narcotics Squad One. Two men preparing to traffic mephedrone were caught. They are Musharaf Isak Shaikh (25) and Sohel Baburao Shaikh (25), both residents of Kalepadal. Police recovered 112 grams of MD, two mobile phones and a two-wheeler from them. The total value was put at Rs 4.14 lakh. Police constable Amol Sarde filed the complaint in the case.

Police said action against those distributing and selling drugs in the city has been stepped up. During this, a Squad One team was on patrol in the Kalepadal police station area. Constable Amol Sarde then received information that two men were preparing to sell MD. Acting on this, the team laid a trap at Samruddhi Chowk. Two men looked suspicious and were taken into custody.

In the search, 52 grams of MD was found on the accused Musharaf and 60 grams on Sohel. According to police, the drug is valued at Rs 3.60 lakh in the international market. A case has been registered at Kalepadal police station. Police are questioning the two on where they got the MD and to whom they were going to sell it.

The operation was carried out by Deputy Commissioner of Police Gauhar Hasan, Senior Inspector Trupti Sonawane, Sub-Inspector Yogesh Kotkar, Amol Sarde and their team.

The second operation was carried out by Anti-Narcotics Squad Two. Two men preparing to sell ganja were arrested. They are Ashish Ramesh Shinde (21) and Ashitosh alias Swapnil Somnath Kamble (27). Ashitosh lives in Shivtejnagar, Bibwewadi. Material worth Rs 4.26 lakh, including 6 kg of ganja, mobile phones and cash, was seized from them.

During patrolling in the Swargate police station area, the two were seen loitering in suspicious circumstances around the Swargate bus stand. Police therefore took Ashish Shinde and Ashitosh Kamble into custody. The search yielded 6 kg of ganja worth Rs 3 lakh, cash and mobile phones. This operation was carried out by Police Inspector Jeevan Mane and his team.