This Article is From Mar 02, 2012

Anti-narcotic cops held with 1,500 kg of charas

Mumbai: Two constables attached to the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai police have been arrested by officers from the same department for selling drugs seized in various cases yesterday. Cops recovered 1,500 kilograms of charas from the duo.

The constables, identified as Ashok Baburao Suryavanshi (50), and Shivaji Balkrishna Kshirsagar (37), both residents of Thane have been booked on the charges of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and have been remanded to police custody till March 7.

"Two constables attached to Thane ANC involved in a drugs selling racket have been arrested and investigations are on-going," said Nisar Tamboli, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), ANC. On February 29, ANC sleuths arrested a drug peddler, Rupesh Kaginkar (26), from Dadar (East) with 1,500 kg of charas worth Rs 1.5 lakh.

During interrogation Kaginkar revealed that the drugs were given to him by constables Kshirsagar and Suryavanshi. Following the squeal, ANC officials arrested Kshirsagar and Suryavanshi and began interrogating them. After a barrage of questions, they acknowledged their involvement in the racket.  

In their statement made to the cops, the two arrested accused revealed that on February 25, they had arrested one Ashok Dongre from Dombivili along with a school teacher, Shubhangi Gamre. They were found with around 1,500 kg of charas.

The constables, however, accepted a bribe of Rs 50,000 from Gamre for not registering a case."The constables also asked Dongre to sell the drugs on their behalf in the market," said an officer from ANC, on condition of anonymity. Cops have recovered Rs 300 in cash, two mobile phones, and one Qualis jeep from the three accused arrested in the case.
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