Over 10 kg contraband seized: Ahilyanagar cop arrested for sale of drugs seized by police

A joint investigation by the Local Crime Branch of Pune Rural and Shirur police station was launched following a concrete intelligence input obtained on January 17. Automobile garage owner, Shadab Shaikh, 41, was arrested in the early hours of January 18. The drugs seized from him weighed around one kilogram and 52 grams each.

Sandeep Singh Gill, Superintendent of Police, Pune rural, told The Indian Express, “We had obtained crucial leads about a larger drugs racket after the seizure of over 1 kg of drugs from Shirur. Our teams continued to work on those clues. As the probe progressed, our team zeroed in on a serving constable from the Ahilyanagar police. We obtained concrete evidence that he was involved in the sale of drugs. We have also seized large quantities of drugs in follow-up action, taking the total seizure to over 10 kg now. A probe was subsequently launched into the source of the drug and the forward and backward linkages of the arrested suspects.”

An officer from Pune Rural police, “At the time of first seizure from Shirur, we thought it was mephedrone as the substance is crystalline and white. However, the seizure of Ahilyanagar police is of crystalline alprazolam. The samples have now been sent for forensic identification and reports are awaited.”

Police have identified the arrested constable as Shyamsundar Gujar (39), who is currently posted with the Local Crime Branch of the Ahilyanagar police and was given the responsibility of inventory of the items seized in criminal cases. Gujar was arrested on Wednesday and was produced before a court in Shirur. The court has remanded him to police custody till January 26.

A senior police officer who is part of the probe said, “Till now we have arrested a total of five persons along with Shaikh and Gujar. These three people were part of the alleged transport and sale of the drugs.” Police have identified the three more suspects as Dnyandev Shinde (37), Rushikesh Chittar (35) and Mahesh Gaikwad (27)
When contacted Somnath Gharge, Superintendent of Police of Ahilyanagar said, “We have been informed of the arrest of the constable. We have initiated strict possible action against him. We are waiting for further information about his role in the case.”

Mephedrone, which has various street names such as Meow Meow, White Magic, M-Cat, and Drone, is a synthetically manufactured stimulant of the amphetamine and cathinone category. Till early 2010, the drug was not included in the list of illegal drugs under the NDPS Act. But multiple seizures of large quantities of the drug and rising instances of its consumption as a narcotic in cities prompted authorities to include it in the list in 2015. The consumption of the drug has reported a rapid growth across India over the past few years.

On the other hand, Alprazolam is a prescription anti-anxiety drug belonging to the benzodiazepine category and is commonly misused and abused for its sedative effects. Due to its high potential for abuse and dependence, the drug is regulated under the NDPS Act in India when possessed or trafficked without valid authorization.