Mephedrone racket busted in Pune, 4 held

Mephedrone worth ₹2.14 lakh in the Indian market and approximately ₹6.7 lakh in the international market including four mobile phones worth ₹1.10 lakh seized

The Military Intelligence branch of Southern Command of the Army and the anti-narcotics cell of the crime branch city police have busted a drug smuggling racket of the drug mephedrone from the army area and arrested four persons in connection with the illicit drug trade, officials said on Wednesday.

A case was registered on October 31 at Cantonment and Khadak police stations. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

A case was registered on October 31 at Cantonment and Khadak police stations and mephedrone worth ₹2.14 lakh in the Indian market and approximately ₹6.7 lakh in the international market including four mobile phones worth ₹1.10 lakh have been seized.

The accused arrested have been identified as Anneet Bipin Khade (19), Sarth Virendra Khare (19) and Kamlesh Mehta (19) all residents of Sinhagad Road and Chaitanya Shivaji Sawle (27), a resident of Kirkatwadi. Their associate Anush Jotiba Mane, a resident of Ghorpade Peth is absconding.

Police sub-inspector Dnyaneshwar Laxman Ghorpade lodged the FIR.

According to the police, Southern Command military intelligence received a tip-off that the accused were smuggling drugs and supplying the banned substances to army establishments. A joint team laid a trap on the public road in front of Snehdeep Bungalow in Sukar Peth and caught the accused on Tuesday.

They were interrogated and searched wherein mephedrone was found. Further investigation is underway, said officials.