Valsad police seized 2,779kg of tablets containing cannabis, valued at Rs 13.88 crore, in two operations across Valsad district and the adjoining Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli Diu and Daman, arresting three people and pursuing at least three others, according to the Times of India report.
In the first operation, police raided the home of 46-year-old Mohammad Amin Basu Khan in Chhiri village of Valsad and recovered 388kg of cannabis-infused tablets estimated to be worth Rs 1.93 crore. Khan was arrested at the spot.
During interrogation, Khan allegedly told investigators that the consignment had been supplied by 28-year-old Pradip alias Mannu Varma, a resident of neighbouring Dadra. Acting on the information, police arrested Varma and searched his shop in Dadra, where they recovered another 2,147kg of similar tablets valued at Rs 10.73 crore.
The combined seizure in the Valsad and Dadra operation amounted to 2,535kg of cannabis tablets worth Rs 12.67 crore. Police said two other suspects believed to be linked to the network, Anurag Gupta of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Salman Siddiqi of Ghatkopar in Mumbai, had not yet been arrested.
In a separate operation, Dungra police seized 243kg of tablets containing cannabis, valued at Rs 1.21 crore, from a residence in Lakeview Residency in Dungra. Police arrested Kartik alias Pappu Biswal in connection with that seizure.
Investigators said the tablets were allegedly made from cannabis-mixed material and sold to users who chewed them for intoxication. The police have also identified the possible role of a person named Banmali Patra in the Dungra case and are attempting to trace and arrest him.
The seizures cover locations across a district and an adjoining Union territory, placing the investigation across separate local policing jurisdictions. The operation also points to the logistical challenge of tracing supply and distribution channels when suspected consignments move between neighbouring administrative areas.
Police are continuing the investigation to identify the source of supply, map the distribution channels and determine whether the two cases are connected to a larger interstate racket. Further arrests and findings will depend on the continuing probe.
