Two arrested for cultivating poppy field in Kharadi IT Park

The Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Pune crime branch has found a poppy filed admeasuring 2.5 acres dotted with poppy plants, portion of which is located in a riverbed in front of Eon Information technology (IT) Park in Kharadi on Wednesday.

The ANC sleuths came to know about the existence of poppy field after two suspects arrested on charges of possessing 2 kg of Ganja confessed that they had procured the contraband from Kharadi area.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Suraj Vilas Atole ( 19) and his associate Nitin Mukund Adagale ( 22), both residents, were arrested by the ANC on Feb 13 wherein the anti narcotics sleuths seized one kg and 600 grams of Ganja estimated to be worth Rs 47,800 from them.

Detailed investigations into the case by ANC under Police Inspector Sunil Tambe led to the conclusion that the poppy plants had naturally grown in the area and were not part of organised cultivation by humans ." Atole and Adagale during interrogation told us about the place from where they procured Ganja. Accordingly, we went to the spot and uprooted 200 poppy plants and kept the seized material at Mundhwa Police Station. We will request the court to grant permission to destroy the seized poppy plants. Preferably, they will be burnt, " he added.

Tambe further claimed that the aggregate seizure from the field was 63 kg estimated to be worth Rs 5.09 lakh which includes 200 poppy plants. A separate case under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Prevention Act has been lodged against the duo at Mundhwa Police Station.