Sunil Thopte News Today

An undertrial prisoner in Pune used two cellphones to smuggle drugs worth Rs 2 crore into the city. The prisoner, Lalit Patil, who is undergoing treat

Acting on a tip-off to policeman Chetan Gaikwad, a team of the anti-narcotics cell of the Pune city police Saturday laid a trap near Sassoon hospital and arrested the aide.

Mephedrone worth Rs 2.14 crore seized

Mephedrone, which has various street names such Meow Meow, White Magic, M-Cat and Drone, is a synthetically manufactured stimulant of the amphetamine and cathinone category.

From both cars, the police team recovered gunny bags filled with marijuana, weighing around 520 kg worth around Rs 1.19 crores in the illegal market.

During its search, the police team seized 51.4 gram of Mephedrone worth Rs 10.3 lakh in the illegal market.

Earlier, the ANC team had arrested a 24-year-old man — identified as Mohanlal Megaram Bishnoi, a resident of Gudamalani in Barmer district of Rajasthan — on Ganga Nagar Road in Fursungi near Hadapsar on July 28.

An FIR was lodged under sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Vishrambag police station, said officials.

The police said the accused, identified as Pankaj Saliyar Madavi, 23, procured the seized contraband from those engaged in marijuana plantations in the jungles of Naxal-affected areas in Gadchiroli district.

The Pune police’s anti-narcotics cell had formed several teams to seize the contrabands and arrest the accused.