Two Navi Mumbai policemen arrested as part of an SIT investigation into a Malaysia-based drug cartel, following a major drug bust | Representational Image
Navi Mumbai: Two police men attached to Navi Mumbai police department have been arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to bust a drug cartel that is being allegedly operated from Malaysia.
The policemen have been identified as Police constable Sachin Bhalerao attached to Kharghar police station and Sanjay Phulkar attached to Anti Narcotics Unit (ANU) of Navi Mumbai. The SIT was formed after ANU nabbed two men on April 15 with imported drugs.
The accused, identified as Ashish Gaware (22) and Ahmed Olgi (23), were caught red-handed on the terrace of Gaware’s residence at NL-2 building in sector 15, Nerul, while conducting a drug deal. A third suspect, Akash Maurya, managed to flee the scene upon sensing police presence.
During the operation, officers seized a total of 1.15 kg of traditional cannabis, as well as 17.19 grams of imported drugs. In addition to the narcotics, police recovered weighing scales, empty plastic pouches, Amazon parcel bags, a crusher, and other packaging materials from the scene.
The seized material is estimated to be worth Rs 2.76 lakh. The police then registered a case against the arrested individuals under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and formed a SIT under the directions of Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe.
“During the investigations, we found the role of the two police men in the drug cartel and we arrested them on Sunday. Further investigations are on and we can reveal more information only later,” Bharambe said.
In the course of the investigation, the police had allegedly found role of Dheeraj Chichkar to be of running the cartel from Malaysia. According to police sources, the two police men were part of the drug syndicate being run by Chichkar. His elder brother Naveen Chichkar was already wanted by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and a Red Corner Notice was issued around 15 days ago against him.
The father of Chichkar brothers- Gurunath Chichkar (50), shot himself dead on Friday morning after being fed up of answering to the questions posed by NCB and ANU during their investigations. In a three paged letter that he typed addressing for NCB, he mentioned his struggles of how he reached Mumbai and how he turned into a builder with hardwork and it was around five years back, that he learnt that his elder son was involved in drug cartel which broke him completely. He said that when his younger son too was named, it was unbearable for him. He further mentions that his wife and his younger son had nothing to do with the drug cartels.
