Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Police investigations have revealed that crores of rupees were transacted through the bank accounts of alleged drug mafia kingpin Ashpak Patel and his peddlers operating a narcotics racket in the city. The crime branch has arrested his associate in the drug trade, Shaikh Hafeez Shaikh Salim (28, resident of Chelipura), who had been absconding for a month, senior police inspector Gajanan Kalyankar said. The court has remanded the accused to police custody till March 1.
Police have intensified action on the financial front against the drug syndicate accused of pushing youth into addiction. Transactions worth Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore were recorded in the accounts of peddlers in recent months. Under the guidance of commissioner of police Pravin Pawar and deputy commissioner Ratnakar Navale, 22 accused have been arrested so far. Funds deposited in various accounts were allegedly diverted immediately, suspected to be proceeds from drug sales. Ishrat, a close aide of Ashpak, allegedly handled the financial chain, routing money through multiple bank accounts before withdrawing it in cash.
Details of suspicious financial transactions:
—- Ishrat Akeeb Shaikh: Rs 45 lakh transactions through SBI, HDFC and Bank of Maharashtra; about Rs 2 lakh balance.
—- Shaikh Kaleem: Rs 22.42 lakh deposited in Kotak Mahindra; Rs 42,000 balance.
— Shaikh Mustaq: Rs 11.37 lakh in HDFC; Rs 2.35 lakh balance.
— Avinash Pachunde: Rs 14.84 lakh in SBI; withdrawn, Rs 47 balance.
— Ajay Salve: Rs 4.50 lakh in Canara Bank; fully withdrawn.
— Shaikh Sameer (in the name of Shaikh Adil): Rs 7.6 lakh in Vilas Bank; Rs 209 balance.
— Syed Shahedali Ibrahim: Rs 5.88 lakh deposited; Rs 2.38 lakh balance.
—-- Syed Sameer: Rs 38.13 lakh credited in Kotak Mahindra; Rs 90 balance.
— Abdul Naveed: Over Rs 58 lakh transactions across SBI, Yes Bank and HDFC; Rs 35.25 lakh via HDFC.
— Obedulla Abdullah: Rs 44.86 lakh in HDFC; fully withdrawn.
—-- Shaikh Sofiyan Nazir: Rs 35.41 lakh in Kotak Mahindra; Rs 3,500 balance.
(Photo of one accused attached.)