In a significant blow to the drug trade, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Navi Mumbai police arrested two officers and eight others as part of an extensive operation targeting a drug syndicate. The bust culminated in the seizure of drugs and assets worth approximately Rs73 lakh.
The operation, which began after a tip-off on April 14, led to the initial arrests of Ashish Gavre (22) and Ahmed Aalgi (23), both found with 17.19 grams of hydroponic high-grade cannabis, valued at Rs2.76 lakh. Further investigation uncovered that the duo was involved in distributing ganja, hydroponic ganja, and heroin, forming part of a larger trafficking network.
Key arrests included:
Sujit Bangera, who sourced drugs from international suppliers in America and Thailand.
Prashant Gaur, a customs official, who facilitated the clearance of shipments at the airport.
Kamal Chandwani (56), a criminal with a history, apprehended for collecting parcels using forged documents.
Additionally, two police constables, Sachin Bhalerao from Kharghar Police Station and Sanjay Phulkhar from the Anti-Narcotics Unit, were arrested for accepting bribes of Rs6 lakh each to prevent the arrest of Kamal Chandwani. The police are continuing their investigation into their involvement.
Further arrests included Ankit Patel and Rinkudkumar Patel, who were responsible for converting cryptocurrency stablecoins (USDT) into cash for the syndicate.
The total seizure amounted to:
Drugs worth Rs16.43 lakh
Vehicles valued at Rs7 lakh
Additional assets totaling Rs14.12 lakh
The police also suspect that the Chickhar brothers, based abroad, may be behind the syndicate’s operations. Investigations are ongoing to dismantle the entire network.
