Mephedrone worth Rs 65,000 seized from pickup in Warora, driver held

Warora police have seized mephedrone, or MD drugs, worth Rs 65,000 and arrested a driver. The action was taken on the roadside on the route from Mohbala towards the GMR company. Police also seized the Bolero pickup vehicle along with the drugs.

The arrested accused has been identified as Deepak Madhukar Kharkar, 45, said to be a resident of Takli in Warora tehsil. A case has been registered against him at Warora police station under the NDPS Act.

According to police, the 'Dial 112' help desk at Warora police station received confidential information that a white vehicle in the Mohbala area was carrying a narcotic substance. Acting on this, a Warora police team immediately began a search. A suspicious white Bolero pickup, registration number MH 27 BX 5703, was found parked near a cattle shed on the GMR company road outside Mohbala village.

A team led by Assistant Police Inspector Sharad Bhasme, under the guidance of Police Inspector Omprakash Sontakke, the station house officer of Warora police station, reached the spot. The team included official panch witnesses, a photographer and people to weigh the contraband. Police surrounded the vehicle. The driver, who was near it, was taken into custody and questioned, and he gave his name as Deepak Madhukar Kharkar.

In line with Section 50(1) of the NDPS Act, the accused was informed of his legal rights. The vehicle was then searched thoroughly in the presence of the panch witnesses. A zip pouch was found hidden in a black plastic bag kept on top of a spare tyre in the carrier above the cabin of the pickup. When the pouch was opened, it held a whitish-brown powder.

Weighed in front of those present, the powder came to 6 grams 520 milligrams. It was identified in testing as MD, or mephedrone, with a market value of about Rs 65,000.

Police sealed and seized from the spot the MD drugs worth Rs 65,000 and the Bolero pickup, worth Rs 5 lakh, used in the offence, together worth Rs 5.65 lakh, in the presence of the panch witnesses. The entire operation was video-recorded and photographed using the e-Sakshya app.

On a complaint by Assistant Police Inspector Sharad Shyamji Bhasme, a case has been registered against the accused, Deepak Madhukar Kharkar, at Warora police station under Sections 8(c) and 21(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act). Warora police are investigating further. Police are trying to find out where the drugs were to be sold and whether a larger racket is behind the smuggling.