Pune City Police Seize 43 Kg Ganja, Cars Worth Rs 21.9 Lakh
Pune, 23rd February 2026: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Anti-Narcotics Squad-1 of the Pune City Police Crime Branch has busted an inter-district narcotics supply chain. The police have arrested four habitual offenders and seized over 43 kilograms of Ganja (marijuana), two cars, and multiple mobile phones collectively valued at ₹21,91,400.
The operation commenced on February 14, 2026, when the police intercepted two individuals near Krupasindhu East Society in Kadamwak Vasti under the jurisdiction of Loni Kalbhor Police Station. The accused, identified as Akshay Popatrao Padule (31) and Vishal Dattatray Jadhav (28), both residents of Hadapsar, were found in possession of 34 kg 440 grams of Ganja worth ₹6,88,800.
An FIR was registered against them at the Loni Kalbhor Police Station under Sections 8©, 20(b)(ii)©, and 29 of the NDPS Act.
Following the initial arrests, senior officers directed the squad to track down the root suppliers of the contraband. Through meticulous investigation, a dedicated team led by Senior Police Inspector Wahid Pathan was dispatched to the Dhule and Nandurbar districts on February 18.
Operating on fragmented intelligence, the police formed multiple sub-teams and apprehended the primary supplier, Mangesh Janya Pawara (29), from a remote, hilly area in Dhadgaon, Nandurbar.
Interrogations of Pawara led the police to another key associate, Dnyaneshwar Magan Pawara (25), a resident of Shirpur, Dhule. With the assistance of local police, Dnyaneshwar was intercepted on the Mumbai-Agra Highway near Navi Sangvi. The police recovered an additional 9 kg 420 grams of Ganja worth ₹1,87,600 from him, along with a Honda car (MH-18-BR-1345) valued at ₹5,00,000.
With these four arrests, the police have confiscated a total of 43 kg 76 grams of Ganja, one Hyundai Aura car, one Honda car, and five mobile phones, bringing the total value of seized assets to ₹21,91,400.
This major operation was executed under the guidance of top police brass, including:
Pankaj Deshmukh (Additional Commissioner of Police)
Nikhil Pingale (Deputy Commissioner of Police)
Shankar Khatke (Assistant Commissioner of Police, Crime 3)
The on-ground investigation and raids were successfully conducted by the Anti-Narcotics Squad-1 (Crime Branch) team, which included:
Wahid Pathan (Senior Police Inspector)
Anil Survase (Assistant Police Inspector)
Vitthal Salunkhe
Sanjay Raje
Rihan Pathan
Amol Sarade
Nilesh Jadhav
Vijay Kamble
Mangesh Gund
Kadam
Akshay Shirke
Shelar
