In a major drug cartel bust, Navi Mumbai police has arrested now arrested Superintendent officer from Customs who headed the western zone. The officer, identified as Prashant Gaur (40), a resident of Kharghar, had allegedly let the ‘air couriers’ containing hydro drugs pass by the scrutiny without raising any alert of suspicion. A total of 10 accused including the customs officer and two policemen have been arrested in the drug bust wherein a total of Rs 16.43 lakh worth contraband has been seized. Among the total seized, 1.15 kg is Ganja worth Rs 1.01 lakh, 136.15 gram hydro ganja worth Rs 13.75 lakh, 1.84 gram Cocaine worth Rs 92,000, two bottles of Boutiq Switch hydro ganja liquid worth Rs 4000 and an imported machine used to consume hydro ganja liquid worth Rs 70,000. Besides, Rs 14.12 lakh cash, vehicles and mobile phones used in the crime, were seized, making the total seizure of goods worth Rs 73.93 lakh.
The arrested accused in the case have been identified as Ashish Gaware (22), Ahmad Olgi (23), Sahil Shabbir Lambe (27), Sujit Bangare (28), Kamal Chandwani alias KK (56), Sachin Bhalerao (40), Sanjay Phulkar (36), Ankit Patel (37), Rinkukumar Patel (39) and Gaur.
On April 14, in a raid, police inspector Sandeep Nigade from Anti Narcotics Unit (ANU) nabbed Gaware and Olgi with 1.15 kg of traditional ganja, as well as 17.19 grams of hydro ganja from Nerul. “In the interrogation of these two, we found that the drugs were being imported from The US and Thailand. Understanding the vastness of the network, we formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to trace the chain of accused,” Additional Commissioner Deepak Sakore from Navi Mumbai, said.
During the further investigation by the SIT, the accused were arrested as the chain of network kept unfolding. “The drug cartel is operated from Thailand and The US by either Naveen Chichkar or his younger brother Dheeraj Chichkar or even both. That is yet to be confirmed,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Amit Kale said.
As per the investigations till now, the police has found that Bangare, a Seawood resident who also happens to be two-times National player of Hockey- was the accused who ordered for the drug consignments from abroad. The supplier from abroad who is allegedly one of the Chichkar brothers, used to send the ordered ‘drugs’ via Air courier. “The courier first reaches Indian Postal that dispatches to the respective zonal custom office as per the address. The ones meant for Maharashtra is sent to the western zone which is headed by Gaur. Gaur was allegedly provided by the consignment numbers before hand that he needed to pass without scrutiny and accordingly he passed the couriers containing drugs without raising any alarm,” DCP Kale said.
The couriers used to be on fake names of which KK, a Kharghar resident, used to make fake adhaar cards using his photo and pose as the receiver of the drugs. KK would then pick the courier and hand over to Bangare. Bangare used to then make cash payment to both the Patels who operated as Angadia. “The angadia used to accept the cash payment and transfer USDT to US or Thailand from where the courier was sent,” the officer added. Gaware, Olgi and Lambe, all three from Nerul, operated as peddlers who then distributed the drugs further.
Constables Bhalerao, a resident of Kamothe who was stationed with Kharghar police station and Phulkar, a resident of Khanda Colony who was attached to ANU, who too have been arrested, are said to have been in constant touch with KK. As per the police sources, the two constables were given the task of ‘protecting’ the cartel from any cases and arrests. Bhalerao has been allegedly been in touch with KK for close to a year and Phulkar joined the chain much later. They have allegedly till now been paid close to a total of Rs 10 lakh by the accused. Gaur has been allegedly being paid Rs 1 lakh for every 1 kg drug passed by him.
“There are more accused wanted in this case and we still investigating further to understand the chain of further distribution of the drugs,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Bhausaheb Dhole said, said.
