Man held with 7 kg of ganja and Rs 5 lakh in cash in Thane district

The police have arrested a man in Shahapur taluka of Maharashtra`s Thane district and seized 7 kilograms of ganja valued at Rs 2.10 lakh along with Rs 5 lakh in cash, a senior official said on Monday, reported the PTI.

Thane Superintendent of Police D S Swami said the arrest of the 28-year-old accused and seizure were the result of a joint action by the Vashind police and the Local Crime Branch (LCB).

He elaborated on the proactive measures being taken by the police force to combat drug menace in the district located adjoining Mumbai.

“Several police teams were formed to check the drugs menace in Thane district and bring to book the peddlers and those associated with the trade,” the SP stated, according to the PTI.

During patrolling on May 15 in the Vashind police limits, a police team got a tip-off that some people were trafficking drugs, Swami informed.

“The police on suspicion raided a flat in a housing complex in Khativali village of Shahapur taluka and found one Vishal Vasant Shelar, 28, possessing ganja,” he said.

Ganja or marijuana worth Rs 2.10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh in cash were seized from the man, said the SP, as per the PTI.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him at the Vashind police station under provisions of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, he added.

The investigation is now focused on uncovering the broader network involved in this drug trafficking operation, the SP maintained.

“The police are probing as to from where the arrested accused sourced the drug and to whom he was to sell it,” Swami said.

Drugs worth over Rs 13 crore seized in south Mumbai; five held

Meanwhile, in an another incident, Mumbai Police have seized drugs worth over Rs 13 crore in south Mumbai after arresting five persons in connection with the matter, an official said on Sunday, reported the PTI.

In March this year, police arrested one of the accused with MD worth Rs 4.5 lakh. During interrogation, he shared the details of the other accused, the official said.
MD, also known as ecstasy, has high potential for abuse, according to the PTI.

Personnel from the Anti-Narcotic Cell of Zone 6, RCF police and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) recently raided a premises in south Mumbai and recovered 6.6 kg of MD, valued at Rs 13 crore, said the official, the news agency reported on Sunday.

Four of the five persons arrested in connection with the haul are from Mumbai, and the other is a resident of Navi Mumbai, said the official from the RCF police station.

A case has been registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and further investigation is underway, he added.

(with PTI inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day