Solapur Police Crack Down on Narcotics: Inter-State Drug Manufacturing Network Exposed

Solapur, 21st February 2024: In October, the Solapur rural police successfully dismantled a drug racket operating in Mohol Taluka. Through their investigation, the police uncovered that the accused were involved in the illicit manufacturing of the narcotic drug Mephedrone (MD) within factories located at Chandramouli MIDC and Chincholi MIDC. Substantial quantities of MD drugs and raw materials, amounting to crores of rupees, were seized during this operation. In connection with this case, the local crime branch police apprehended the primary coordinator of an inter-state drug manufacturing gang, which was located in Kalaburagi, Karnataka. Another accomplice was arrested in Hyderabad. Up to this point, a total of 12 individuals have been arrested in connection with this drug manufacturing and distribution network.

The accused in this case hails from a different district and state, frequently changing his place of residence. The joint team comprising the Local Crime Branch, Solapur Rural, and Mohol Police Station conducted extensive searches in various locations, including Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Rewa (Madhya Pradesh), Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad (Telangana), and Guwahati (Assam). The accused was eventually apprehended by the local crime branch team in Bargarh, Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh, Bidar in Karnataka, and Zaheerabad in Telangana. During these arrests, a substantial amount of ₹8,82,99,204 was seized, including Mephedrone (MD), raw materials required for its production, vehicles used in criminal activities, and mobile phones.

The principal mastermind of this criminal gang has been identified as the mastermind behind similar criminal activities in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan. He managed to evade capture by frequently changing his places of residence within these regions. It was only when a lead was discovered that he could be traced. On February 14, the police received information indicating that the accused was present at the Lumbini Grand Hotel in Kalaburagi, Karnataka. Subsequently, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) teams proceeded to Kalaburagi and successfully apprehended the main mastermind. Simultaneously, his accomplice was arrested in Hyderabad.

Upon reviewing the state and inter-state crime records of the mastermind, it has been revealed that he has had 10 cases registered against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act since 2010 in various locations, including Maharashtra and other states. These cases have been filed in Mohol (Solapur), Khar (Mumbai city), Nashik Road, Manikpur, Narcotics Control Bureau Mumbai, Murbag Ali (Karnataka), Ongal (Andhra Pradesh), Narcotics Control Bureau Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. The accused has been presented in court and has been remanded in police custody until February 26.

This successful operation was conducted under the effective guidance of Superintendent of Police Shirish Sardeshpande and Additional Superintendent of Police Pritam Yawalkar. The Local Crime Branch (LCB) Police Inspector Suresh Nimbalkar and Assistant Police Inspector Dhananjay Pore played a crucial role. The team included Police Sub-Inspector Suraj Nimbalkar, Range Police Sub-Inspector Rajesh Gaikwad, Assistant Sub-Inspector Srikant Gaikwad, and Police Personnel Salim Bagwan, Vijaykumar Bharle, Dipali Jadhav, Anwar Attar, Vinayak Ghorpade, Akshay Dongre, Samarth Gajare, Yash Devkate, along with a dedicated group of police personnel including Abhijeet Pethe, Venkatesh More, and Mahadev Kakade from the Cyber Police Station. Their collective efforts contributed to the successful execution of the operation.