Notorious Nagpur drug kingpin held in Ujjain with over 1kg MD

Nagpur: In a major interstate crackdown, Ujjain police in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh have arrested Pankaj Charde (34), a notorious drug trafficker from Nagpur, along with his associate Amit Tiwari, dealing a significant blow to a key narcotics supply chain feeding the city's drug menace.Charde, identified as a one of the key suppliers of mephedrone in Nagpur, was apprehended while transporting over 1kg synthetic drug - estimated to be worth Rs15 lakh - from Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district to Nagpur for distribution.The arrests were made late Monday night after Ujjain police, acting on a specific tip-off during routine patrol, intercepted a suspicious Maharashtra-registered vehicle. Upon inspection, officers recovered the contraband and detained both occupants.Preliminary investigation revealed that the duo had procured the drugs from Mandsaur, a region known as a hub for synthetic drug trafficking. Charde and his accomplice had briefly halted in Ujjain to pick up an associate when police intercepted them and foiled their plan.Police have seized the mephedrone along with the vehicle, and are examining mobile phones, call data records, and other materials to unravel the wider network.Charde, no stranger to law enforcement agencies, is considered a key figure in Nagpur's drug trade with a long criminal history, including around 15 registered offences under NDPS Act and other serious charges such as attempt to murder. His notoriety stems from his role as a mastermind in a statewide drug cartel.He had earlier surfaced in a major 2023 case handled by Nagpur Police's anti-narcotics cell, which involved seizure of approximately 1.9 kg mephedrone valued at nearly ₹2 crore - one of the largest recoveries at the time. Following initial arrests in that case, Charde had fled to Mumbai along with his aide Akram alias Chunnu Khade, before both were eventually arrested in Goa on March 8, 2023 while celebrating Holi with girlfriends.The earlier case also exposed a wide network of suppliers and distributors, underlining Charde's extensive operations across Maharashtra and beyond. Police had described him as a hardened criminal who had risen from a small-time goon in local areas like Kalamna and Pardi to a key drugs supplier.Nagpur Police are now expected to coordinate with their Ujjain counterparts to seek custody of the accused for further investigation. Officials believe detailed interrogation could expose a broader interstate network involving suppliers, financiers, and street-level peddlers.The arrest comes amid intensified efforts by law enforcement agencies in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to curb the growing menace of synthetic drugs, which continues to plague urban centres.