Pune: Anti-Narcotics Cell of Pune Police arrested a man for smuggling 1.09 kilograms of opium valued at ₹21.8 lakh. The accused, identified as 52-year-old Nathuram Jeevanram Jat, is a resident of Asavari, Nagaur, Rajasthan.

The operation was conducted in the Kondhwa area, where the anti-narcotics team was on routine patrol. Jat was spotted carrying a suspicious bag, prompting the officers to question him. Upon inspection, they discovered a stash of opium in the bag. Jat has been charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS).

The operation was led under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Nikhil Pingale and Assistant Commissioner Ganesh Ingle. The team included Inspector Ulhas Kadam, Assistant Inspector Aniket Pote, and officers Dnyanand Telange Patil, Sandeep Shirke, Vishal Dalvi, Sachin Malve, and Praveen Uttekar.

Nathuram Jat, originally a carpenter, turned to drug smuggling to earn quick money. He allegedly transported opium from Rajasthan to Pune for sale. Police are investigating whether he had prior connections in the city and if he had already sold opium to others.

This arrest is part of a series of successful operations by Pune police targeting drug trafficking. Last month, the Pune Crime Branch seized mephedrone (MD) worth ₹14.6 lakh, along with a firearm and two live cartridges, from repeat offenders Bobby Survase and Tosim Khan.

In another case, drugs worth ₹1 crore were seized from Vishrantwadi, where three individuals were arrested, and 471 grams of mephedrone were recovered from them.