The Pune Police have cracked a major drug trafficking racket, seizing hydroponic cannabis cultivated inside a rented flat in Pimpri-Chinchwad and recovering narcotic substances worth approximately Rs3.45 crore. Authorities believe the operation is linked to an international drug network.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Somay Munde, who led the investigation, said the case surfaced following the arrest of an accused in a drug sale case, prompting coordinated raids in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mumbai, and Goa. During the operation, the police recovered mephedrone, hydroponic cannabis (Ozikush), charas, and LSD.
Five accused have been arrested:
Tushar Chetan Verma (21)
Sumit Santosh Dedwal (25)
Akshay Sukhlal Maher (25)
Malay Rajesh Deliwala (28)
Swaraj Anant Bhosale (28)
Authorities also froze Rs7.80 lakh from the bank accounts of the arrested individuals, all of whom have been remanded to police custody.
Verma was initially apprehended in the Khadki area based on specific intelligence about narcotics sales. Interrogation revealed that Dedwal and Maher had rented a flat in Pimpri where hydroponic marijuana was being cultivated, along with cultivation equipment.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Malay Deliwala and Swaraj Bhosale from Mumbai, while additional raids in Goa resulted in the recovery of more narcotics.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar and senior officers from the city police and crime branch.
