Pune Drug Bust: Lonikand Police Dismantle MD Racket, 6 Arrested, Valuables Worth Rs 41.96 Lakh Seized
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Wagholi, 30th April 2026: In a major crackdown on the narcotics trade, the Lonikand Police Station of the Pune City Police has dismantled an extensive Mephedrone (MD) smuggling network. In a series of coordinated operations spanning four days, the police arrested six individuals and seized nearly 175 grams of Mephedrone, along with vehicles, cash, and mobile phones, cumulatively valued at ₹41,96,000.
The string of operations commenced on April 19, 2026, acting on confidential intelligence received by police personnel Kailas Salunke and Swapnil Jadhav during a routine patrol. Following the tip-off, the investigation team intercepted the first suspect, Punjaji Jaychand Chaudhary (40), a native of Buldhana, near Katewadi Phata in Lonikand. A search yielded 21.860 grams of MD worth ₹4,37,200 and a high-end iPhone, pushing the total seizure value from this raid to ₹4,87,200.
The initial arrest initiated a chain reaction. Subsequent interrogations led the police to Perne Phata on April 20, where they apprehended two more individuals: Rajendra Keru Tele (35) from Shikrapur and Karan Sachin Mohite (21) from Sanaswadi. Authorities recovered 59.160 grams of MD, a car, mobile phones, and cash, bringing the total value of this specific seizure to ₹14,10,970.
Relentless follow-up investigations by the Lonikand police soon exposed further links. On April 22, the trail led to Magar Vasti in Lonikand, resulting in the arrests of Bhagirathsingh Sajjansingh Rajpurohit (28), a native of Rajasthan, and Adinath Dashrath Shirke (29) from Manjari. During this operation, the police confiscated 21.430 grams of the synthetic drug, a car worth ₹4,00,000, mobile phones, and cash, totaling ₹8,34,020.
The final breakthrough came on April 23, when joint interrogation of the arrested suspects guided the police to Shirwal in the Satara district. Here, the team arrested the sixth suspect, Yogesh Laxman Chavan (37). He was found in possession of a massive 72.500 grams of MD powder, valued at ₹14,50,000.
By the end of the operation, the Lonikand police had successfully seized 174.95 grams of Mephedrone. All six accused have been remanded to police custody, and cases have been registered against them under the relevant sections of the NDPS Act at the Lonikand Police Station.
This sweeping anti-narcotics operation was executed under the strategic guidance of senior officials, including Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Manoj Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7) Somay Munde, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lonikand Division) Nutan Pawar.
The on-ground investigation and successive raids were successfully led by Senior Police Inspector Sunita Rokade, supported closely by Police Sub-Inspectors Arjun Bendgude and Tukaram Survase.
The dedicated team of police personnel who meticulously tracked down the suspects and executed the arrests included:
Swapnil Jadhav
Kailas Salunke
Sagar Jagtap
Ganesh Gaikwad
Santosh Andure
Malhari Sapure
Shubham Chinke
Sudhir Shivale
Dinesh Markad
Shankar Kshirsagar
Sandeep Pachange
