₹9.9 Crore In 2022, ₹13.61 Crore In 2023, ₹3,679.36 Crore In 2024

Pune city has seen an alarming rise in drug trafficking and narcotics seizures in 2024, surpassing all previous records. According to official statistics, the total value of narcotics seized this year has reached a staggering ₹3,679.36 crore, a huge leap from ₹13.61 crore in 2023.

The high scale of these seizures has raised grave concerns about the availability of illegal narcotics and drug trafficking in the city. In 2022, it was at ₹9.9 crore in 150 cases in 2022.

In 2024, a total of 204 individuals have been apprehended, including 191 men, 3 women, and 10 foreign nationals, which is a slight increase from the 193 arrests made in 2023, which included 172 men, 12 women, and 9 foreigners.

Pune drug bust

In one of the many cases of mephedrone (MD) seizure, the Pune city police impounded drugs worth ₹3,677 crore after raiding a manufacturing factory in Kurkumbh and two different godowns in Dhanori and Vishrantwadi. Police also seized marijuana, cocaine, LSD, poppy straw, opium, and other drugs in other cases. This case sent shockwaves in the city and led to huge uproar in political circles.

In a recent crime, Narcotics Police seized Mephedrone worth ₹23.38 lakh from Laxminagar in Yerwada jurisdiction on January 15, 2025. The accused was identified as Ahmad Wazid Khan (45), a resident of Laxminagar, Yerwada, who was selling MD in Yerwada.

Similarly, in the second case, two accused, Hussain Noor Khan (21) and Faizan Ayaz Shaikh (22), residents of Kondhwa, were booked for trafficking Mephedrone worth ₹15.70 lakh in the Lashkar Police Station jurisdiction. The crime came to light on January 16, 2025.

Foreign involvement in the cases

The rise in foreign involvement in drug-related cases highlights the international connection of the growing menace and raises critical questions about the effectiveness of the city’s law enforcement and border control measures.

How are such vast quantities of drugs entering the city? Is Pune being used as a transit point for drug networks?

Nikhil Pingale, DCP (Crime), speaking to the Free Press Journal, said, “Our team is highly active and consistently taking action against people involved in drug trafficking to stop the illegal narcotics business in the city. Drug traffickers mainly bring Charas from other states such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Telangana, etc.”

“Manufacturing Mephedrone is easier for goons as it can be prepared in a small space. There is no need for a big area or forest to grow,” he added.

Speaking about the foreigners’ arrest, Pingale added, “They came into the city under the pretext of taking education. Meanwhile, they are involved in the narcotics crime network and stay in the city even after their passport tenure ends. It’s tough to identify sometimes as the countries refuse to accept them as their citizens. After interrogation, they were sent to the dedicated team for deportation.”

The narcotics seizure in 2024:

Ganja: 315.848 kg

Cocaine: 199.44 grams

Mephedrone: 1,985.802 kg

Opium: 4.150 grams

Hashish (Charas): 12.4 grams

Heroin: 200 milligrams