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Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Packers and movers transport 108 kg ganja from Odisha to Nagpur in bank manager's household goods
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel An investigation into the seizure of 108 kg marijuana (ganja) worth Rs 27 lakh last week has found out that a packers-and-movers transporter, Avinash Dhoke, had brought the narcotics consignment concealed in household goods of an innocent bank manager, who had been transferred from Odisha to Nagpur, reported consignment was intercepted by Kalamna police after a dramatic chase on June 3. It has affected the bank manager's shifting plan as his household goods have been impounded as evidence. However, the police have promised to legally sort out the issue.A Kalamna police team, led by senior inspector Praveen Kale under Zonal DCP Niketan Kadam, travelled about 700 km from Nagpur to a remote Odisha village to nab the key supplier, Bulbul Pradhan, alias 'WhatsApp Bhai'. The police waited in a trap set for him for more than 24 hours. Pradhan belongs to a family of drug mafia. His elder brother is part of an interstate racket with a nationwide mission to bust the drug cartel was done by Nagpur CP Ravinder Singal's crackdown on narcotics 'Operation Thunder', which has unearthed a new nationwide modus operandi of using movers and packers to transport narcotics across sources said Dhoke, 34, was supposed to deliver the bank manager's belongings to the official's new address in Nagpur. However, Dhoke's driver took a detour of about 250 km to pick up the consignment from Pradhan, who was waiting at a location on the Sambalpur highway. The driver had been promised Rs 1,000 per kg ganja or Rs1 lakh as his share in was supposed to deliver to consignment to Palash Wankhede. He managed to keep the tightly packed, dried marijuana herbs in a few sacks under the bank manager's household belongings, furniture, beds, and electronic gadgets. Wankhede is now behind bars along with managed to dodge numerous checkpoints, nakabandis, toll nakas, RTO check posts, and highway police by furnishing the receipt of the payment made by the bank manager for shifting his belongings from the Odisha-West Bengal border to an interior village of Odisha, and then to Nagpur in Maharashtra via Raipur in from Kalamna police told ToI that Dhoke was working for Wankhede for quite some time but has refused to reveal further details during interrogation.(With ToI inputs)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Packers and movers transported ganja from Odisha to Nagpur in bank manager's household goods
Nagpur: The ongoing investigation into the seizure of 108kg marijuana, or ganja, worth Rs27 lakh last week led to a shocking revelation. A packers-and-movers transporter, Avinash Dhoke (34), had brought the narcotics consignment concealed in the household goods of an innocent bank manager, who had been transferred from Odisha to Nagpur. The narcotics consignment, intercepted by Kalamna police after a dramatic chase on June 3, has hit the bank manager's shifting plan, as his household goods have been impounded as evidence. However, the cops have promised to legally sort out the issue as far as possible. The case resurfaced on Saturday after a Kalamna police team, led by senior inspector Praveen Kale under Zonal DCP Niketan Kadam, travelled almost 700km from Nagpur to a remote Odisha village to nab the key supplier, Bulbul Pradhan, alias 'WhatsApp Bhai', after waiting in a trap for more than 24 hours. Pradhan belongs to a family of notorious drug mafia. His elder brother is part of an interstate racket with a nationwide network. The mission to bust the drug cartel was undertaken under Nagpur CP Ravinder Singal's flagship crackdown on narcotics 'Operation Thunder', which has unearthed a new nationwide modus operandi of using movers and packers to transport narcotics across India. Sources said that Dhoke was supposed to deliver the bank manager's belongings to the official's new address in Nagpur. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Dhoke's driver took a detour of almost 250km to pick up the consignment of 108kg ganja from Pradhan, who was waiting at a location on the Sambalpur highway. The driver had been promised Rs1,000 per kg ganja or Rs1 lakh as his share in profits. Dhoke, who was supposed to deliver the consignment of ganja to Palash Wankhede, managed to keep the tightly packed, dried marijuana herbs in a few sacks under the bank manager's household belongings, furniture, beds, electronic gadgets, and so on. Wankhede is now behind bars along with Dhoke. Kale said that Dhoke managed to dodge numerous checkpoints, nakabandis, toll nakas, RTO check posts, and highway police by furnishing the receipt of the payment made by the innocent bank manager for shifting his belongings from the Odisha-West Bengal border to an interior village of Odisha, and then to Nagpur in Maharashtra via Raipur in Chhattisgarh. "It is a shocking modus operandi that packers and movers are transporting narcotics with the belongings of their innocent clients. The Kalamna police team, led by sub-inspector Santosh Kumar Ramlod, could identify, chase, and intercept the vehicle because we had specific input and did not stop even after seeing household belongings in it. We offloaded every luggage to search the vehicle before managing to lay our hands on it," said Kale. Sources from Kalamna police said Dhoke was working for Wankhede for quite some time but has refused to reveal further details during interrogation. The cops are now engaged in gathering technical and electronic evidence for further backward and forward linkages.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Drug mafia find new route to evade ‘Operation Thunder'
Nagpur: To counter 'Operation Thunder', the aggressive anti-narcotics campaign launched by Nagpur city police, the drug mafia has found a new route connecting Madhya Pradesh to Nagpur for smuggling large quantities of narcotics into the city. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Operating under the cover of darkness, drug traffickers are exploiting a less travelled, sparsely patrolled road to keep their illegal trade thriving, sources said. The 'new smuggling route', originating from Ujjain and Bhopal, passes through Saoner and winds through rural areas like Patansaongi, Bharatwada, Gorewada, and Ambazari before reaching the heart of the Nagpur city. The unmonitored stretch from Saoner to Nagpur is allowing the mafia to maintain their supply chain from states like Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. This route, devoid of police vigilance, has become a lifeline for the narcotics trade, allowing consignments of Mephedrone (MD) powder, ganja, and cocaine to flood the city. According to sources, the drug mafia operates in the early hours when the chances of encountering law enforcement agencies are negligible. "The route from Saoner to Nagpur cuts through rural areas, while police focus their efforts on main roads and highways," a source disclosed. "Fleets of cars, including those operated by notorious mafia figures like Afsar Anda, transport huge quantities of ganja and MD through this route daily," he added. Nagpur police's 'Operation Thunder' has made significant strides in curbing the narcotics trade. However, the crackdown pushed traffickers to adapt. DCP (crime) Rahul Maknikar vowed to take swift action. "If this route is being exploited, we will target it. We are deploying watchers, gathering intelligence, and planning strategic hits to choke supply line," he said.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
2 held with MD worth Rs1L near Bhilgaon
Nagpur: The Yashodhara Nagar police arrested two individuals in possession of over 15gram of mephedrone (MD powder) worth over Rs1 lakh during a morning patrol in Bhilgaon on Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off, cops laid a trap at Patil Nagar in Bhilgaon. Two suspects on a motorcycle were intercepted and searched in front of witnesses. The accused were identified as Rajat Dilip Nanet (28), a resident of Gautam Nagar, Jaripatka, and Rakesh Rajkumar Kohale (21), from Tiwari Nagar, Bhilgaon. In addition, officers confiscated two mobile phones, a motorcycle, bringing the total value of seized materials to Rs1,80,750. A case was registered under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Both suspects were taken into custody. The team included SPI Ramesh Khune and Vaibhav Nage, Abdul Vakil, Durgesh Shukla, Pravin Jadhav, Pankaj Parate, Sagar, and Laxman. The operation was carried out as a part of Operation Thunder under the guidance of DCP Zone 5 Niketan Kadam and ACP Satyavir Bandiwar (Jaripatka Division). Cops are cracking down on narcotics trafficking in the region under Operation Thunder.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Time of India
108 kg ganja seized at Chikhli Chowk, 2 arrested
1 2 Nagpur: A consignment of 108kg ganja was seized by Kalamna police at Chikhli Chowk on Tuesday, tightening the noose around the city's drug network. Two accused were arrested, and an investigation under Operation Thunder led by commissioner of police Ravinder Singal is underway to trace the broader supply chain. The marijuana, believed to have been cultivated on a farm in Odisha, came to Nagpur via Raipur. According to police, the contraband was transported in a six-wheeler truck, and was being transferred into a black SUV when the accused were caught in action. Acting on a specific tip-off received late at night on June 2, a team led by PSI Santosh Kumar Ramlod, along with officers Ravikumar Shahu, Pradeep Pawar, Mangesh Lohi, Sandeep Dhale, and Santosh Pandey, laid multiple traps between HB Town and Chikhli Chowk. After a failed overnight wait, fresh intelligence on June 3 afternoon led to renewed surveillance. Around 4pm, the truck was spotted near Mata Mandir, where the transfer was underway. DCP Niketan Kadam told the media on Wednesday evening that despite the formal closure of the drive, targeted action against drug networks continues. He confirmed that the seized ganja originated from Odisha and was likely intended for distribution to peddlers not just in Nagpur but across various districts. "The involvement of more individuals is suspected, and mobile phone data from the accused is being analysed to establish backwards and forward linkages," Kadam said. He added that no Naxal connection could be established this early in the investigation. "Preliminary investigation has revealed that the ganja was meant to be distributed to small-time peddlers at the local level, and we will be tracking them down as well," he said. The arrested accused — Avinash Dhoke, a resident of Yashodhara Nagar, and Palash Wankhede from Suryodaya Nagar — attempted to flee but were intercepted. A total of 108kg ganja packed in six bags was recovered, valued at around Rs27 lakh. The seized truck and SUV were worth Rs10 lakh and Rs6 lakh respectively, taking the total haul value to Rs43 lakh. Kadam confirmed that the duo were history sheeters and had been involved in similar crimes in the past as well. A case has been registered under the NDPS Act, and further investigations are underway to identify local and inter-state links. The operation was carried out under the supervision of inspector Pravin Kale and DCP Kadam.
