5 held with deer musk worth ₹3 lakh

Officers from the crime branch arrested five people on Thursday for allegedly selling deer musk weighing 75 grams worth around ₹3 lakh, at Andheri. The musk is

Officers from the crime branch arrested five people on Thursday for allegedly selling deer musk weighing 75 grams worth around ₹3 lakh, at Andheri. The musk is a gland found in the male deer, which is used to make perfumes and medicines and is one of the most expensive animal products.

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The accused have been identified as Malad residents Kanti Bacchubhai Jethava, 45; Deepak Gohel, 46; Pune resident Praful Iccharam Kapde, 49; Wardha resident Ganesh Margate, 32; and Jignesh Doshi, 34, a resident of Ankaleshwar in Gujarat.

On Thursday, officers of unit 8 received a tip-off about Doshi coming to the city with deer musk, to sell it in Mumbai through his friends. “Based on the information, we deployed our informer as a client. The five accused offered to sell the deer musk for ₹10 lakh to our informer,” said an officer.

After the deal was finalised, and the five accused met the police informer at MIDC, Andheri (East), on Thursday evening with the musk. A police team then laid a trap and arrested the accused when they reached the spot.

During probe, Doshi said he received the musk from a friend in Gujarat, who suggested he should search for buyers in Mumbai, said the officer. The accused were handed over to the MIDC police station. “The accused have been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act. We are trying to find out the source of the musk in Gujarat,” said senior inspector Anil Koli, MIDC police station.