Biggest cannabis haul: Mumbai police seize 500 kg ganja from Vikhroli
In total, 500 kg ganja was seized (Main Image: Representational, Courtesy: archant.co.uk | Inset: The seized vehicle)
In one of the biggest cannabis hauls till date, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Police seized a whopping 500 kg of ganja from Vikhroli on Tuesday and arrested three men in connection with smuggling the banned substance.
The Azad Maidan Unit of the ANC apprehended the vehicle, a Bolero jeep, on the south-bound Eastern Freeway near Kanjurmarg-Vikhroli service road.
The accused were transporting the drugs from Malegaon, Nashik under the guise of onions. Officials recovered 500 kg of cannabis, hidden underneath sacks of onions, from the vehicle.
According to ANC sources, the contraband is worth approximately Rs 75 lakh in the international market and is the biggest ever cannabis seizure made by Mumbai Police.
The ANC sleuths seized the vehicle and took the three men into custody.
The men, identified as Sanjay Shivaji Mohite (36), Nandlal Laddu Beldar (55) and Kalu Sahebrao Mohite (28), have been booked under the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Police are interrogating the trio to ascertain if they are linked to a larger racket and learn about their supplier. Meanwhile, they are also checking call records and trying to trace the owner of the seized vehicle.
The arrests come barely three days after Thane police arrested three men and seized 83.55 kg ganja worth Rs. 12.53 lakh. The ANC officials had laid a trap and arrested two of the accused from Ambernath on Sunday, while the third was arrested later.
The accused were identified as Anil Pawar (29), Premnath Bhoir (28) and Divesh Vayle (32). They too were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
