479kg ganja seizure helps police bust inter-state gang

Times News Network

Pune: The recovery of 479kg of ganja worth Rs 2.30 crore from a farm in Jalochi village of Baramati taluka on Feb 28 this year helped the Pune Rural police uncover an inter-state narcotics supply network. Acting on the investigation, the police on Wednesday arrested seven men and seized another 157kg of ganja valued at Rs 45 lakh.

Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said, “The accused allegedly smuggled ganja from Chhattisgarh and supplied it to peddlers operating in Sangli, Satara and Solapur districts. Following the major seizure in Baramati, multiple police teams launched a probe to trace those behind the racket.”

During the investigation, police identified history-sheeters Vicky Kamble (32) and Samadhan Gaikwad, both residents of Baramati taluka, as the alleged masterminds of the operation. Gaikwad and three associates were arrested earlier, while Kamble had managed to evade arrest.

Gill said police teams, with assistance from the Sangli police, chased and intercepted Kamble’s car in Sangli district on Wednesday. Officers recovered 134kg of ganja worth Rs 33.55 lakh from the vehicle.

On Thursday, police arrested three more men from Baramati and seized 23kg of ganja worth Rs 11.55 lakh from their car. The trio hails from Kothrud in Pune. Police said they have so far seized 634kg of ganja and two cars collectively worth around Rs 3 crore from the gang since Feb.