20-Year Sentence for Major Drug Bust in Maharashtra

A Maharashtra court sentenced a man to 20 years in prison and fined him Rs 1 crore for possessing and storing large quantities of mephedrone and ketamine. The case involved substantial drug seizures by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in 2020. Two co-accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

A significant drug bust in Maharashtra's Thane district has led to a 20-year rigorous imprisonment sentence for a man found guilty of possessing mephedrone and ketamine in commercial quantities. The special court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on the accused.

The court found Ashfaque Abdul Jabbar Shaikh from Kalyan guilty, while acquitting co-accused Shahid Sayed from Mumbai and Bobba Venkat Reddy from Hyderabad due to insufficient evidence. The operation, conducted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in 2020, focused on shipments transported from Hyderabad to Mumbai and Kalyan.

Raids uncovered nearly 45.655 kilograms of mephedrone and substantial quantities of ketamine, along with cash, foreign currency, and drug manufacturing tools. Despite pleas for leniency due to age and health concerns, the court emphasized the severity of the crime and ordered the confiscated currency to be credited to the government.

(With inputs from agencies.)