In a significant joint operation, the Military Intelligence Unit of the Southern Command of the Indian Army and the anti-narcotics squad of the Pune Police successfully dismantled a drug smuggling operation linked to the illicit substance Mephedrone.
Four individuals, identified as Anneet Bipin Khade (19), Chaitanya Shivaji Sawle (27), Sarth Virendra Khare (19), and Vishal Kamlesh Mehta (19), have been apprehended by the Pune Police in connection with the drug smuggling. An additional suspect, Anush Jotiba Mane from Ghorpade Peth, is currently evading capture.
The arrests came following a joint operation conducted by the Crime Branch and Military Intelligence, acting on information that the accused were not only involved in drug trafficking but also supplying narcotics within Army establishments.
The confiscated contraband includes Mephedrone with an estimated value of Rs 2 lakh 14 thousand in the Indian market and approximately Rs 6.7 lakh in the international market. Additionally, four mobile phones with a total value of Rs 1 lakh ten thousand were seized. The case has been officially registered at Khadak Police Station, based on a complaint filed by Assistant Police Inspector Dnyaneshwar Laxman Ghorpade.
The operation unfolded when a joint team set a trap in front of Snehdeep Bungalow in Shukrawar Peth. The accused, apprehended on Tuesday around 11.20 pm, underwent extensive interrogation and search procedures, ultimately leading to the discovery of the illicit substance in their possession. Further investigations into the matter are ongoing.