Nagpur: Continuing their crackdown under the “Operation Thunder – Let’s Unite to Build a Drug-Free Society” campaign initiated by City Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singhal, Dhantoli Police arrested three men for possession of MD powder worth ₹8.73 lakh during a raid near Doctor’s Colony, Dhantoli, on Thursday evening.
According to police sources, between 2:05 pm and 8:40 pm on October 23, the Dhantoli police team was on patrol when they received a tip-off about suspicious activities near an open plot adjacent to DP Road in Dhantoli. Acting swiftly, the team laid a trap and nabbed three suspects identified as —
- Pradeep Purandas Uike (32)
- Chintu alias Vivek Lekhraj Banote (28)
- Tejas Vijay Bhandarkar (25) — all residents of Kumbhar Toli, Dhantoli, Nagpur.
Upon conducting a search in the presence of panch witnesses, police recovered 10.730 grams of MD powder sealed in zip-lock pouches from the accused. A further inspection of their Swift car (MH-49-BK-2767) led to the seizure of two iron knives, an electronic weighing scale, five mobile phones, and the car itself. The total value of the seized material is estimated at ₹8,73,500.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were in possession of the contraband for illegal sale and profit, thereby violating provisions under Sections 8(c) and 22(a) of the NDPS Act, along with Sections 4 and 25 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
A case has been registered at Dhantoli Police Station by PSI Jadhav, and all three accused have been arrested. Further investigation is underway.
The operation was executed under the guidance of Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singhal, Joint Commissioner of Police Navinchandra Reddy, Additional Commissioner (North Region) Rajendra Dabhade, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 2) Nityanand Jha, and Assistant Commissioner (Sitabuldi Division) Vilas Shende. The action was led by PI Anamika Mirzapure, PSI Jadhav, police constable Yogesh Chambhare, and their team.
