Key Points:
- On Friday, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Crime Branch seized 1,800 kg of marijuana from a tempo intercepted on Eastern Express Highway near Vikhroli.
- The police received a tip-off following which the Ghatkopar ANC unit, led by Inspector Lata Sutar, laid a trap.
- The 2 persons that were caught are identified as Akash Yadav (25) and Dineshkumar Saroj (23), who were working as driver and cleaner for the truck hired by a person, identified as Sandeep Satpute, who is the leader of a drug syndicate allegedly operating from Bhiwandi.
- Joint Commissioner of Crime Branch, Milind Bharambe, told mid-day that the accused used to bring ganja in trucks from Odisha. He said that no one ever suspected as the drugs were covered by coconuts.
On Friday, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai Crime Branch seized 1,800 kg of marijuana from a tempo intercepted on Eastern Express Highway near Vikhroli. The marijuana that is seized is worth Rs 3.6 crore, which was smuggled from Odisha, police said. Only two persons have been arrested in the case, so far.
The police received a tip-off following which the Ghatkopar ANC unit, led by Inspector Lata Sutar, laid a trap. The 2 persons that were caught are identified as Akash Yadav (25) and Dineshkumar Saroj (23), who were working as driver and cleaner for the truck hired by a person, identified as Sandeep Satpute, who is the leader of a drug syndicate allegedly operating from Bhiwandi.
The duo had used COCONUTS to hide the 1,800 kg Marijuana that were being transported from Odisha to Mumbai, in order to avoid any suspicion.
The Mumbai Police Anti-narcotics Cell is also probing how the smugglers managed to cross Naxal-affected areas in Andhra Pradesh to get the GANJA to Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the primary supplier of this consignment, one Sandeep Satpute, who is a resident of Louis Wadi in Thane. Joint Commissioner of Crime Branch, Milind Bharambe, told mid-day that the accused used to bring ganja in trucks from Odisha. He said that no one ever suspected as the drugs were covered by coconuts.
Milind Bharmbe said, “The kingpin of the inter-state smuggling gang has been identified as Laxmikant Pradhan, hailing from Ganjam district. We have got this information from the Odisha Police.”
“The police personnel have been on the lookout for Sandeep Satpute, a resident of Thane. Satpute owns the godown in Bhiwandi where the ganja was kept,” Bharmbe added.
