NAVI MUMBAI: Reiterating its zero-tolerance policy with regard to narcotics, the Navi Mumbai police will destroy seized drugs confiscated in various cases during a drug disposal programme to be held at 11.30 am today at the Mumbai Waste Management Company facility in Taloja. The move comes days after the Vashi police arrested three persons and seized 12.910 kg of hydroponic ganja valued at ₹12.91 crore near Vashi railway station in the early hours of Thursday.
Officials said the disposal would be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, underscoring the department’s firm commitment to combating drug trafficking and sending out a strong deterrent message against the illegal drug trade.
Acting on a tip-off in the Vashi case, the police laid a trap at around 5 am on the road between the CIDCO Exhibition Centre and Rajasthan Bhavan and intercepted a grey Hyundai Aura car (MH-50-L-6990). Its three occupants were detained on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Shyam Shivkumar Banwani (45), a resident of Ulhasnagar in Thane district, Sandeep Dilip Patil (35), and Aniket Sunil Telangi (27), both residents of Parvati in Pune.
During a search conducted in the presence of panch witnesses, the contraband was recovered from a trolley bag inside the vehicle. The police also seized the car valued at approximately ₹5 lakh, ₹28,000 in cash, and three mobile phones allegedly used in the crime.
A case has been registered at Vashi Police Station under Sections 8(c), 20(b)(ii), and 29 of the NDPS Act. The accused are in police custody and further investigation is underway to trace the source and intended recipients of the consignment.