Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Travel operators are prohibited from transporting parcels, goods, or courier items beyond passengers' belongings. If they find any item without a person, especially if it contains illegal materials, the driver and owner will face full responsibility and serious charges, warned police and the RTO department on Friday.
City police uncovered the smuggling of liquid drugs and pills intended for abuse through travel companies on October 14, leading to the sealing of Humsafar Travels' office. During questioning, local peddler Yusuf Khan Mehbub Khan (28), supplier Praveen Gawli (32) from Nashik, and distributor Nishit Kumar Saxena (44) from Gwalior confessed to supplying drugs via multiple travel firms. CP Pravin Pawar and DCP Prashant Swami directed ACP Dhananjay Patil and PI Geeta Bagwade to take strict action. They warned travel bus operators and courier representatives in a meeting attended by inspectors Amol Devkar, Ashok Bhandare and Shankar Shirsat.
\IEvidence from two months ago\I
Rajveer Travels was caught smuggling 5.7 grams of MD drugs and 103 pills in a sweets box on August 10. The driver and cleaner were arrested, revealing connections to well-known travel companies. However, the investigation has since stalled.
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\INo Permission\I
Additional Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) Manish Daund clarified that travel agencies are not permitted to carry parcels, goods, or medicines apart from passengers' luggage. Even personal items are subject to weight restrictions. Some travel operators claimed they had a circular allowing certain exceptions, but Daund instructed them to provide it as proof.
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\INo Means to Inspect: Post Office\I
The post office confirmed they lack tools to inspect courier parcels. Police advised that medicine parcels should include an official bill and verified sender and recipient addresses.