Pune: Police Have Seized Drugs Worth Rs 90 Lakh In Last 10 Months From Smugglers

Pune, November 7, 2020: The Pune Crime Branch has initiated action against those selling drugs. In the last ten months, police have seized drugs worth Rs 90 lakh and arrested 65 people. These include drugs such as Mephedrone (MD), hashish, opium, cocaine, marijuana and foreign cigarettes.

The city has expanded in the last few years. The number of young people coming to Pune for college education, jobs in IT companies, business, and industry is increasing day by day. Various attempts are being made by drug trafficking mafias to lure these youths into the trap of addiction. However, the crime branch is monitoring the activities of these smugglers and their intentions are being thwarted.

“The anti-narcotics squad of the crime branch has raided more than 50 places to find out the sellers of various types of narcotics. Police have seized stocks of drugs worth Rs 90 lakh. At the international level, the value of these drugs is in the billions of rupees,”said a senior official of the crime branch.

Mission Pune Drug-Free

In 2019 (January-December), the crime branch had seized drugs worth Rs 3 crore and arrested 109 people. This year (2020), 82 cases were registered. The Commissioner of Police has set up special squads to nab drug smugglers in the city.

Stocks of foreign cigarettes and mephedrone were seized during the lockdown. Last week, a Crime Branch team seized a stock of MD drugs worth Rs 10 lakh and arrested the two, police officials said. “The goal is to make Pune drug-free by cracking down on drug traffickers. Squads have been formed by the crime branch and the smugglers are being traced. In ten months this year, 65 people have been arrested for drug trafficking,” said Bachchan Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).

Awareness against drug-use

In order to create awareness among the citizens about the ill effects of drugs in the city, the crime branch raises awareness by putting up banners in crowded squares including bus stands, cinemas, schools and colleges in the city. Police said that information is being provided about diseases caused by drug use. The upper class has a greater ability to buy drugs. Therefore, individuals in this category are more targeted by drug traffickers. Earlier, there was a huge demand for drugs like brown sugar, opium and charas in and around Pune city. However, now they have been replaced by MD, LSD stamps, ketamine and cannabis.

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