In two separate operations, Pimpri Chinchwad police arrested three individuals and seized synthetic drug mephedrone (MD) valued at Rs9 lakh between Saturday and Sunday.
In the first incident, a Hinjewadi police team led by Assistant Police Inspector Somnath Panchal intercepted two men riding a scooter without a registration number on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass. Despite an attempt to flee, the suspects were caught after a brief chase.
Upon searching them, police recovered 68 grams of mephedrone worth Rs7 lakh. The suspects were identified as Akshay Dede (28) and Rahul Deore (22), both residents of Ramtekdi in Hadapsar. Police confirmed that both have criminal records with Pune police, and an investigation is ongoing to trace the source of the drugs.
In a separate operation, the Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch, under Senior Inspector Vijay Dhamal, arrested Samir Khan (35) from Wadmukhwadi. The police recovered 11 grams of mephedrone worth Rs2 lakh from him. A case was registered against him at the Dighi police station.
These actions are part of ongoing efforts by Pune police to combat synthetic drug trafficking, which has seen a surge in recent months.
