Mumbai, May 23 (IANS) The Narcotics Control Bureau arrested two drug traffickers and recovered 702 kg Ganja while busting a major interstate trafficking network in Gondia, Maharashtra, an official said on Saturday.

The 702 kg Ganja was concealed in 100 packets among grocery cargo items, including detergent, toothpaste & hair dye, was recovered and seized, the official said in a statement.

The seized contraband was sourced from Odisha & destined for multiple Maharashtra-based drug syndicates operating in Nagpur, Gondia, Pune and Mumbai.

Earlier in a separate case, the NCB secured jail terms in a Mumbai court for five drug traffickers, including the kingpin, in a synthetic drug trafficking case. The convicts were sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 15 years to one year, said a statement.

The Special NDPS Court in Thane sentenced the kingpin Mohammed Arif Yaqoob Bhujwala, a resident of Mumbai’s Chinchbunder, to 15 years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh, the NCB’s Mumbai Zonal Unit said.

Parvez Khan alias “Chinku Pathan” and Mohammed Salman Khan, both residents of Chinchbunder, along with Vikrant Jain, a resident of Bhiwandi in Thane, were awarded five years’ imprisonment each and fined Rs 50,000 each, the NCB added.

Haris Faizullah Khan, resident of Bandra West in Mumbai, was sentenced to one-year imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 10,000, it said.

The NCB investigation led to freezing of two movable and three immovable properties worth more than Rs 1.5 crore belonging to Parvez Khan alias Chinku Pathan.

Financial investigation against kingpin Mohd. Arif Bhujwala resulted in seizure and confirmation of drug sale proceeds in cash, eight movable properties, and four immovable properties collectively valued at more than Rs 5 crore, the NCB added.

The case originated on January 20, 2021, when officers of NCB Mumbai, acting on precise intelligence, conducted a search operation at Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai and apprehended a known history-sheeter and drug trafficker, Parvez Naserullah Khan.

During the operation, the NCB officers recovered 52.2 grams of Mephedrone (MD) from his possession.

–IANS

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