In a significant drug bust, the Anti-Narcotic Cell of the Nagpur Crime Branch arrested three drug peddlers, including a supervisor from Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), on Wednesday morning. The operation, carried out in the Nandanvan area, led to the seizure of 907 grams of mephedrone (MD) powder, valued at approximately Rs90.70 lakh, along with four smartphones worth Rs40,000 and an electronic weighing scale.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Kapil Gangadhar Khobragade (40), a Health Department supervisor at NMC and resident of Rajendra Nagar slums, Rakesh Anantrao Giri (31), from Nandanvan slums near Boudh Vihar, and Akshay Bandu Wanjari (25), a resident of Bajrang Nagar, Old Bagadganj. Notably, Khobragade and Giri had previous criminal records under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while Wanjari had 12 criminal cases, including one under the NDPS Act.
The arrests followed a tip-off about a drug deal, prompting the Anti-Narcotic Cell officers to set a trap near Lohana Bhavan, close to Hiwri Nagar Garden. Around 10:45 a.m., the police moved in as Khobragade and Giri were attempting to deliver the MD powder to Wanjari. The trio was apprehended on the spot, and the drugs, smartphones, and weighing scale were seized.
Five accomplices, involved in the illegal drug trade, are still at large. They have been identified as Sohail from Sarangpur, Madhya Pradesh; Maqsood Aminuddin Malik from Taj Nagar, Teka; Golu Borkar from Hiwri Nagar; and Akshay Bobde and Allahrakha from Hingna. Maqsood Malik has a criminal record with 14 cases, including five under the NDPS Act.
The arrested individuals have been handed over to Nandanvan Police and charged under Sections 8(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act. The operation was led by PI Gajanan Gulhane, supported by HC Manoj Neware, HC Pawan Gajbhiye, and others under the supervision of senior Crime Branch officials.
