Cannabis worth Rs 20 lakh seized, 2 held in Nagpur

Nagpur, May 26 (UNI) In the biggest seizure of its kind in the city, the police confiscated 12 kg of cannabis (charas) estimated to be worth about Rs 20 lakh and arrested two persons in this connection here today.

Speaking to mediapersons, additional commissioner of police (crime) B K Upadhyay said the narcotic was seized when the suspect, identified as Nilesh Ramesh Asare (32), was just about to deliver it to Ganpat Mahadeo Karne (59), suspected to be a dealer, at the latter's residence this morning.

The suspects, both of whom are residents of Nagpur, claimed that the cannabis, which was in a suitcase, had been brought from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Upadhyay said. ''However, we have doubts about the information given by the suspects, because such substances normally do not come from Indore. We will shortly send a team to Indore to verify the information,'' he said, adding that the police also seized Rs 17,000 in cash from Karne's residence.

Karne is suspected to have been supplying the cannabis to various places in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of Maharashtra besides neighbouring Chhattisgarh and even Hyderabad, he said. The arrests today were likely to lead to the busting of a major drugs racket in the region, Mr Upadhyay said.

Asare and Karne have been booked under section 20 (C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and placed under arrest, he added.

Karne, who has a criminal background, is facing charges in court for a similar offence of 1999 and a theft charge of 1991, Mr Upadhyay said. Karne's wife Kamal was also booked under sections 22 and 26 of the NDPS Act in 2002, and the case was before a court, he added.

Karne had told the police that his wife was on a pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir at present, and this claim would also be verified, the additional commissioner of police said. Asare is said to be Karne's foster son-in-law, he added.

UNI