1.4 kg of Mephedrone Seized in Nagpur; Mastermind Arrested
Nagpur police dismantle a drug syndicate linked to gangster Vishal Gupta, seizing narcotics worth ₹1.4 crore.
1.4 kg of mephedrone seized from a flat in Narendra Nagar.
Gangster Vishal Gupta, alias Phalli, arrested in Rameswaram.
Total haul value exceeds ₹1.54 crore, including cash and vehicles.
In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the Nagpur police crime branch apprehended members of a mephedrone syndicate on Saturday, seizing 1.4 kg of the narcotic valued at ₹1.4 crore. The operation took place in a third-floor flat located in Narendra Nagar, following a tip-off that led police to act swiftly around 7:20 PM, successfully intercepting the suspects before they could escape after a sale.
The police arrested several individuals during the raid, including Aniket alias Annu Bihare and Rahul alias Bhaya Gedam from Wathoda, along with Tufan Singh Bal Singh Sisodia from Jhalawar, Rajasthan, Krishna alias Pehelwan Verma from Ganeshpeth, and Shubham alias Doremon Narwariya from Manewada. The search yielded not only packets of mephedrone but also six mobile phones, ₹3.44 lakh in cash, an electronic weighing scale, ziplock bags, a register, and a school bag, indicating the scale of their operations.
Additionally, four motorcycles and a car believed to be used in the drug trade were confiscated, bringing the total estimated value of the seized items to over ₹1.54 crore. Police reports indicated that local gangsters, including Vishal Meshram, Saurabh Ghate, and Vickky Khan, were among the clientele of Phalli’s drug network, which operated from Rajasthan.
During questioning, Aniket Bihare revealed his collaboration with Phalli in the mephedrone trade, stating that Tufan Sisodia was responsible for transporting large shipments from Rajasthan under Phalli's direction. The drugs were then distributed through a network of local dealers across various areas in Nagpur, including Hingna and Kapil Nagar. Tufan confirmed to the police that he had traveled specifically to deliver drugs to Phalli’s network, with mobile records indicating regular communication among the accused.
The alleged mastermind, Phalli Gupta, was apprehended along with his girlfriend in Rameswaram. He is also wanted for his involvement in a shooting incident at the residence of corporator Shubham Motghare in Bhandewadi back in August. The Nagpur police have secured a transit remand to bring him back to the city for further investigation. The operation was coordinated by DCP (Crime) Deepak Aggarwal and ACP Vaibhav Jadhav, who oversaw simultaneous actions targeting different modules of the same syndicate.