The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has requested information on individuals detained by the Pune police in Maharashtra during the recent mephedrone drug seizure case last month, according to a senior official.
In February, the city police confiscated over 1,700 kilograms of mephedrone, with an estimated illicit market value of around Rs 3,600 crore, spanning Pune, Delhi, and Sangli. Eleven individuals, including the proprietor of a manufacturing unit in Kurkumbh MIDC (near Pune) where the illegal substance was purportedly manufactured, have been taken into custody.
We received a letter from the ED on Monday, seeking information about the accused. Given the magnitude of the drug racket, it was expected that the ED would seek details, the crime branch official said on Tuesday.
The central agency asked for information about the accused, their bank accounts and locations where searches were conducted. Based on the information, the agency will investigate money trails and suspected hawala transactions involving the accused, he said.
As of now, the police have apprehended 11 individuals in connection with the case. Five of them are presently under judicial custody, while six are held in police custody. According to the official, four suspects, including the alleged mastermind Sandip Dhunay, who has absconded the country, are being pursued in connection with the case.