THE Anti-Narcotics Cell of Pune City Police has seized 520 kg marijuana worth around Rs 1.2 crores, which racketeers were allegedly smuggling in two cars bearing fake emblems of Government of Maharashtra. The two vehicles were intercepted on Saturday near Lonikand and police have arrested three suspects in the case. Sleuths from Unit 2 of Anti-Narcotics Cell of Pune Crime Branch were working on a specific intelligence input that some suspects were coming to Pune in car bearing emblems of Maharashtra Government and were transporting large quantities of marijuana. Accordingly, the team led by Inspector Sunil Thopte laid a trap on Saturday noon and intercepted two cars—one hatchback and one SUV—at a location near an industrial unit on Pune-Ahmednagar Road in Lonikand. From both cars, the police team recovered gunny bags filled with marijuana, weighing around 520 kg worth around Rs 1.19 crores in the illegal market. The three suspects travelling in the two cars were arrested under provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and on charges of misusing the Government of Maharashtra emblem. The arrested suspects Sandeep Balaji Sontakke (29) and Mahesh Parit (29) are both residents of Khalapur and Raigad district, and their woman accomplice Nirmalakoteshwari Junnuri (36) is a resident of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. "Our probe suggests that the consignment originated in Andhra Pradesh and was brought to Maharashtra to be sold to peddlers. We have launched a probe into the supply and distribution network of this drug racket," an officer from the cell said.
