Pune: Second case of opium cultivation detected in Purandar, plants worth Rs 76,038 seized, two held (Video)

Pune: Close on the heels of the Pune Police busting a big drug racket by raiding a drugs factory in the MIDC, Kurkumbh in the district, two persons have been arrested for cultivating opium in their farms in Purandar in the district.

This is the second such incident exposed in Purandar taluka within a week.

The arrested accused have been identified as Kiran Kundlik Jagtap (40) and Rohidas Changdeo Jagtap (55), a resident of Kodit village in Purandar taluka. After assuming charge, Superintendent of Police (SP) Pankaj Deshmukh had directed officials to take action against those producing, stocking, selling and consuming narcotics.

The Jejuri Police Station squad got a tip-off that opium was cultivated without a licence in a field at Mavdi village. Therefore, the police officials from the Jejuri and Bhor police stations visited Jagtap Mala near Kavathicha Mala at Mavdi village. They examined two separate farms, where illicit opium cultivation was done in onion and garlic crops to avoid detection. Opium plants weighing 38.28 kgs worth Rs 76,560 were seized.

In an earlier incident, the local crime branch had acted against two persons five days ago at Kodit village for opium plantation.

Under the guidance of SP Pankaj Deshmukh, Addl SP Sanjay Jadhav and SDPO Shreekant Pandule, PI Annasaheb Pawar of the Bhor Police Station, API Deepak Wakchaure of the Jejuri Police Station, PSI Mahesh Patil, PSI Namdev Tarde, policemen Vitthal Kadam, Shubham Bhosale, Tatyasaheb Khade, Dashrath Bansode and Bhanudas Sarak took the action.