Police have arrested three persons, two of them working as drivers, and seized 74.584 kilograms of ganja worth over Rs 37.37 lakh from different locations in Bhiwandi town of Thane district, officials said on Friday, reported news agency PTI.
Talking to reporters, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amarsingh Jadhav said, “Following specific intelligence inputs, officers of Crime Unit-II, Bhiwandi, acted swiftly and nabbed three accused who were in possession of ganja meant for illegal sale in the local market.”
The accused were identified by police as Faizal Akbar Ansari (44), a driver from Kalyan town in the district, Abdul Rahman Mujahid Ansari (20), a labourer from Bhiwandi, and Anwar Jamiluddin Ansari (34), also a driver, from Bhiwandi, reported PTI.
Explaining the sequence of events, DCP Jadhav said, “Acting on a tip-off that some persons were arriving at Dargah Road in Bhiwandi to sell the contraband on Thursday, a team led by senior inspector Janardhan Sonawane of Crime Unit-II laid a trap,” reported PTI.
The trap was successful as one of the suspects was intercepted as he reached the location with the banned substance. Subsequent searches and raids also yielded narcotics, said the police officer.
“The police, in searches carried out on Faizal and Abdul Ansari, and during a raid at the residence of Anwar, seized a total of 74.584 kilograms of ganja,” Jadhav said, adding the total value of the seized contraband was Rs 37,37,400, reported PTI.
A case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered at the Bhoiwada Police Station under the Bhiwandi division. All three accused are being interrogated, he added.
Thane mephedrone haul main accused held from Hyderabad airport while trying to flee country
In another case, the main accused in a drug bust case was arrested by Thane police from Hyderabad International Airport in Telangana, an official said on Thursday, reported PTI.
On a tip-off, a house was raided on June 25 by Manpada police in Khoni, leading to the seizure of 1.93 kilograms of mephedrone worth Rs 2.12 crore, said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone III-Kalyan, Atul Zende, reported PTI.
“On June 29, we arrested the main accused Mohammad Rahim Salim Sheikh alias Farhan from Hyderabad airport while he was trying to flee the country. Three persons, including a woman, were held at the time of the raid on June 25,” the DCP said, reported PTI.
A case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Manpada police station and further probe is underway, he added.
Farhan, who has been remanded in police custody till July 7, also has an NDPS Act case registered against him at Mumbra police station, the official said.
(With inputs from PTI)
