The Pune police have unearthed a sophisticated, hydroponic Ganja cultivation and drug distribution racket operating from a rented flat in Pimpri-Chinchwad, leading to the arrest of five persons and seizure of narcotics and related material worth nearly ₹3.45 crore. The police have also frozen ₹7.80 lakh found in bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and foreign currency linked to the accused.
It all started with the arrest of a peddler in Khadki during routine patrolling. The police apprehended Tushar Varma, 21, a Delhi native currently staying in Susgaon, and seized 1.194 kg of Ganja and an electronic weighing scale from him. A case was registered against Varma under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
During interrogation, Varma revealed that he procured the drugs from Sumit Deadwal and Akshay Maher. Acting on this information, the police detained both Deadwal and Maher from Sangvi. Though the duo initially tried to mislead the investigators, sustained questioning by deputy commissioner of police Somay Munde led to crucial disclosures.
It emerged that the accused had rented a flat in a densely populated residential area of Pimpri-Chinchwad, where they set up a soil-based hydroponic OG Kush Ganja cultivation unit. The police dismantled the illegal setup; and seized the live plants, Ganja stock and cultivation equipment from the premises.
Using technical surveillance and financial analysis, the police expanded the probe to Mumbai and Goa, where additional raids were conducted. During these operations, the police arrested Malay Deliwala, a key accused and recovered a wide range of narcotics including Ganja, Charas, MD, psychedelic mushrooms, LSD blotter papers, cannabis gummies, MAMD pills and CBD oil. Equipment used for packaging and distribution, such as weighing machines and currency-counting devices, was also seized.
{{/usCountry}}Using technical surveillance and financial analysis, the police expanded the probe to Mumbai and Goa, where additional raids were conducted. During these operations, the police arrested Malay Deliwala, a key accused and recovered a wide range of narcotics including Ganja, Charas, MD, psychedelic mushrooms, LSD blotter papers, cannabis gummies, MAMD pills and CBD oil. Equipment used for packaging and distribution, such as weighing machines and currency-counting devices, was also seized.
{{/usCountry}}Preliminary investigation indicates that the accused are linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate, supplying narcotics to peddlers across India and abroad. The police said that the network uses hawala channels and cryptocurrency transactions to move illicit funds. The operation, code-named ‘Operation Alakh Niranjan’, was carried out under the supervision of senior Pune police officers. Further investigation is underway, and more arrests are likely.