Bhandup's crime spike: Cops begin crackdown, eight arrested on Day 1

A day after shunting out the erstwhile senior police inspector in Bhandup the top brass has started to crack its whip on criminals in the area The police have formulated a fivepoint plan to weed out crime from the zone riddled with murders and gang activity The AntiNarcotics Cell ANC got off to a running start on Wednesday night when they arrested eight drug peddlersSmoking out ganja dealers is just step one of Mumbai Polices fivepoint plan to clean up crime in Bhandup However this is one of the most important phases as cannabis is heavily sold and used in the areaThe spot where a 17yearold was killed in broad daylight last month sparking the crackdownOn Wednesday night a team from the AntiNarcotics Cell ANC mdash led by inspector Shashank Shelke assistant inspectors Vinod Shivadikar and Sachin Kadam subinspector Charu Chavan and 25 other officers mdash arrested eight suspected drug dealersThe accused were identified as Vijay Pundit 26 Mustafa Shaikh 21 Tayabai Wadekar 65 Jasunda Gaikwad 50 Shakti Pujara 32 Uttam Kamble 46 Kamlesh Gautam 26 and Saipan Sangoli 21 They were arrested in two separate raids at Darbanshah Kadri dargah in Khindi pada and at Tulshet pada The cops seized 93 kg of ganja worth Rs 186 lakhSenior inspector Ramesh Khade takes charge of Bhandup police station PicsRajesh GuptaDeputy Commissioner ofPolice ANC Shivdeep Lande told midday On the basis of several inputs we initiated a special drive and found eight ganja peddlers They have been sent to police custody till August 13Purge criminalsShaken by eight murders and 10 attempt to murder cases this year the police are aggressively cracking down on criminals in the zone The cops have prepared a list of historysheeters and have started tracking them down All criminals with open cases against them will be arrested and jailed with heavy sentences to keep them off the streets Criminals who have committed serious offences body offences like murder and rape will be externed from Zone VII altogetherShivdeep Lande DCP AntiNarcotics CellThe Bhandup police have asked neighbouring police stations and crime branch units to tap their informers and make arrests at the earliestCurb crime against womenThe police will take stern action against sexual offences In the past crimes against women such as molestations have often flared up and resulted in more serious offences including murder The cops intend to focus on major colleges and junctions where roadside Romeos often lay in wait for girls to prey onTeaching kids to say noTo ensure lower crime rates in the long run the police will also start awareness campaigns across schools and colleges to teach the youth that crime doesnt pay The cops seek to educate teenagers about the dangers of the criminal world and how it can put their career and life at risk In particular officers will advise youngsters to stay away from SRA projects mdash such construction works mean big money and are the gateway to the underworld for many youthsThrice as much patrollingFinally the police will fulfil locals requests to increase police presence in the area Patrolling will be increased threefold with cops taking to the streets in three shifts dailyMuch of Bhandup is hilly terrain teeming with illegal hutments which makes it inaccessible Hence patrolling cops will head out on foot to better penetrate the areaFivepoint plan Choking the drug flow Clearing out historysheeters Stop crimes against women Educate kids against crime Increase patrollingAlso readMumbai As Bhandup turns crime hub senior cop sackedCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates