Pune city police arrested a car dealer for his alleged links with a Mephedrone racket busted by the anti narcotics cell. Police have identified the accused as Mohammad Aslam Mohammad Ismail Merchant (48) of Jambusar in Gujarat. Acting on a tip-off, a team of the anti-narcotics cell had on August 9 arrested three youngsters, Shrinivas Santosh Godje (21), Rohit Shantaram Bende (21), and Nimish Subhash Abnave (27) from Tingre Nagar area. During searches, the police seized 471 grams of Mephedrone along with four mobile phones, two electronic weighing machines, a two-wheeler, a car and other items, all worth Rs 1.89 crore, from the accused. A first information report was lodged in this case at Vishrantwadi police station under sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. A probe revealed that the accused had supplied Mephedrone to their customers through courier service. Police then arrested a courier company staffer Vishwanath Konapure in this case. Police launched a search for Merchant from whom the accused Abnave had allegedly procured the Mephedrone. Cops arrested Merchant from Gujarat. He was produced before a court in Pune on Saturday. “The court has remanded the accused Merchant to police custody till August 21 for further investigation,” said police inspector Ulhas Kadam, the investigation officer in the case. “Merchant is engaged in the car dealing dealing. We arrested him from Gujarat. Further investigation is underway,” said Kadam.
