Pune Airport: Passenger from Bangkok held with marijuana worth Rs 2.29 Cr

The AIU seized 2.29 kg hydroponic marijuana worth Rs 2.29 crore at Pune Airport, arresting a passenger. Separately, the DRI busted a Mephedrone lab in Wardha, seizing 128 kg of the drug worth Rs 192 crore and arresting three people.

The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Pune Commissionerate on Monday seized over 2.29 kg of hydroponic marijuana valued at approximately Rs. 2.29 crore at Pune International Airport and arrested a passenger arriving from Bangkok, an official said.

According to officials, AIU personnel intercepted the passenger who had arrived on IndiGo flight 6E-1096 from Bangkok based on profiling and specific intelligence inputs. A detailed examination of his checked-in baggage led to the recovery of 2,299.44 grams of hydroponic weed concealed in two air-tight sealed packets.

The contraband was seized under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The passenger was taken into custody, and further investigation is underway, officials added.

DRI Busts Mephedrone Lab in Wardha

On the same day, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) dismantled a clandestine Mephedrone manufacturing facility in Wardha, Maharashtra, during a targeted operation codenamed "Operation Hinterland Brew", according to an official press release. The operations conducted on December 7 and 8 resulted in the seizure of 128 kg of Mephedrone, valued at approximately Rs. 192 crore, along with 245 kilograms of precursor chemicals, raw materials, and a complete processing setup.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers conducted discreet surveillance, followed by a search operation in a remote, shrub-covered area of Karanja (Ghadge), nearly 60 km from Wardha. During the operation, officers uncovered a fully functional synthetic drug processing setup, including makeshift reactors, vessels, and other equipment used for the illicit manufacture of Mephedrone. The seizure comprised both finished product and precursor chemicals essential for its synthesis.

According to the release, three persons operating the facility, including the mastermind, who also acted as the financier and chemist, along with his two associates, were apprehended. All three were found to be actively involved in the manufacturing and distribution network of Mephedrone, and have been arrested under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985. (ANI)

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