Latur Police destroy narcotics worth Rs 1.18 crore in major NDPS action

Latur cops incinerate 713 Kg drugs worth Rs 1.18 crore. (Representational Pic)

Latur Police in Maharashtra on Friday destroyed seized narcotics worth Rs 1.18 crore, a police officer said. The contraband, comprising 713 kilograms of ganja, 21 kilograms of opium and 96 grams of mephedrone, was seized in 45 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the officer told PTI.

"The destruction process was carried out in the presence of Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe and Additional Superintendent of Police Mangesh Chavan under Section 52(A) of the NDPS Act through an authorised panchnama process. It was incinerated in a fire boiler," he added.

Officials of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and fire, health, and legal metrology department were present during the operation, he said.

2 women among 10 held after MBVV cops bust drug racket in Mira Road

The Mira-Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police said that it arrested 10 persons, including two women, after busting a major mephedrone (MD) drug trafficking racket operating in Mira Road and Mumbai.

According to the police, the action was carried out by the MBVV Crime Branch, unit 4, following an investigation into a narcotics case registered at Naya Nagar Police Station in Thane district of Maharashtra.

The police said that the operation went on for around a month to dismantle the entire racket.

According to the police, the probe initially began on April 4 after officers raided a flat at Cheda Adarsh Building in Naya Nagar, Mira Road East. During the search, the police seized 1 kg and 324 grams of MD drugs valued at Rs 2.66 crore from the residence of a woman identified as Firdos Arbaz Qureshi.

Investigators said that the seized narcotics allegedly belonged to her husband, Arbaz Vakil Qureshi. Following the recovery, the police registered a case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

During further investigation, the police arrested several accused from different areas of Mumbai, Mira Road, and Gujarat for their alleged involvement in the drug supply network.

Police stated that a total of 6 kilograms and 773 grams of MD drugs worth approximately Rs 13.61 crore have been recovered so far during the investigation.

The arrested accused include residents from Mira Road, Jogeshwari, Oshiwara, Byculla, and Rajkot in Gujarat. Officers believe the gang was involved in the commercial purchase and sale of narcotic substances.

Apart from Firdos Arbaz Qureshi and Arbaz Vakil Qureshi, the other accused have been identified as Moiz Javed Khan, Arman Ali Kalam Ali Rain, Sunil Kamal Yadav, Mohammad Wasim Yusuf Sheikh, Irfan Anwar Kudiya, Arafat Shamsuddin Ansari, Khalda Arafat Ansari, and Akash Satyaram Yadav.

(With PTI inputs)