Pune, Jan 21 (PTI) Police have arrested an automobile garage owner and seized 1 kg of mephedrone (MD) narcotics worth around Rs 2 crore in the illicit market in Shirur tehsil of Pune district, an official said on Wednesday.
The garage owner, Shadab Shaikh (41), was arrested on Tuesday.
According to a Pune Rural Police official, “On January 17, we received information that a person who owns an automobile garage has stocked narcotic substances. We formed a team and laid a trap in Baburao Nagar under Shirur tehsil. We detained the person and confiscated from him 1 kg of mephedrone (a synthetic stimulant drug), whose market value was around Rs 2 crore.” Police were probing if other individuals were also linked to the drug racket, he added.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA in Maharashtra, Rohit Pawar, in a social media post alleged the involvement of police personnel in drug trade.
He said, “On the night of the 18th, Pune Rural Police seized drugs worth over Rs 25 crore. They recovered one kilogram of mephedrone valued at more than Rs 2 crore from a garage owner in Shirur, and 9 kgs from two other individuals.
“It is understood that the main accused has informed authorities that a police man from Ahilyanagar had supplied him with the drugs. This has raised suspicion that the seized drugs may have originated from Ahilyanagar narcotics godown.” The Opposition MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahilyanagar district demanded strict action against those involved in drug smuggling.
“In connection with this case, Pune Police yesterday took into custody a police man from the LCB branch in Nagar (Ahilyanagar) who was in charge of the narcotics desk. If police personnel themselves are supporting drug mafias, it is certainly a warning sign for the state. This incident is extremely serious. Therefore, a thorough investigation should be conducted and strict action should be taken against the personnel who have tarnished the image of the police,” Pawar further said. PTI COR RSY
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