Three suspected members (faces blurred) of the inter-state drug racket arrested by the Pune rural police. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement)
In a major drug haul earlier this year, the Pune rural police quite literally stumbled upon 479 kilograms of marijuana concealed in 465 adhesive-taped packets and hidden inside two empty water drums abandoned on a secluded, uncultivated patch of land in Baramati.
Suspecting that the consignment had been stockpiled to cater to the spike in demand during the Holi festival, the police launched a coordinated probe despite initially having no clues as to who had brought the marijuana there, where it came from, or who was meant to receive it.
Following a call from a local farmer on February 28, two white plastic drums of 1,500 litre capacity fitted with a latch and steel padlocks were found at Jaloche in Baramati. The tanks were subsequently taken to the police station.
At the police station, in the presence of a gazetted officer and under CCTV surveillance, a seizure panchnama was conducted. A total of 465 ganja packets wrapped in khaki paper and sealed with adhesive tape were found inside the two drums. Of these, 232 packets were found in the first drum and 233 packets in the second drum. A total of 478.95 kilograms of marijuana worth Rs 2.39 crore in the illegal international market were seized on the occasion.
As the police activated their local intelligence network to track suspicious movements in the area, the investigation led them to two “history-sheeters”. Investigators said the duo’s sudden disappearance from the area further deepened suspicion about their possible involvement. Based on further technical leads, the police zeroed in and arrested four men on May 3 – Samadhan Gaikwad, 23, Prakash Kate alias Pakya, 29, both from Baramati, Princekumar Singh, 22, a native of Siwan in Bihar, and Rahul Gore, 27, of Beed.
The probe revealed that the seized marijuana was procured by these four men from three suppliers. The three suppliers were identified as Vicky Kamble of Baramati, Sangram Singh of Marunji in Pune, and Jockey Manjhi from Odisha. The Pune rural police’s investigation team found out that these three had gone to Chhattisgarh to procure more marijuana. The next batch of inputs revealed that marijuana was being transported in two vehicles and that these two vehicles had gone in two different directions. One vehicle went towards Tasgaon in Sangi district, and another towards Phaltan Road in Baramati.
The vehicle that was moving towards Tasgaon was intercepted by the Sangli district police, and a consignment of 134 kilograms of marijuana was seized from the vehicle. The suspect, identified as Vicky Kamble, 32, was placed under arrest on the evening of May 20. In the early hours of May 21, a team from the Pune rural police traced the second vehicle, and another consignment of 23 kilograms was seized. The police arrested three suspects – Hussain Lashkare, 35, of Kothrud, Aditya Shinde, 20, of Sutardara in Pune, and Yuvraj Durge of Mulshi.
The total seizure from the organised racket was 634 kilograms, which is worth Rs 3.03 crore in the international market. Further probe is on to arrest two wanted suspects, Sangram Singh and Jockey Manjhi.
“What initially appeared to be two abandoned drums on a barren patch of land eventually led us to uncover a well-organised drug trafficking network operating across multiple states. The investigation helped us trace the supply chain, transportation routes, and several individuals involved in the procurement and distribution of the contraband. The operation shows how even a seemingly isolated recovery can open up larger organised crime linkages when pursued systematically,” a senior Pune rural police officer said.
