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By:

Dr. Abhilash Dawre

19 March 2025 at 5:18:41 pm

Rs 27 crore worth narcotics seized; inter-state cartel uncovered

Thane : In a major breakthrough against drug trafficking, Mumbra police have seized a massive stockpile of mefedrone valued at approximately 27.21 crore. Acting on critical intelligence, the Narcotics Control Unit conducted a special operation extending as far as Madhya Pradesh, resulting in the arrest of five key drug traffickers involved in supplying large quantities of mefedrone to the Thane region.   The operation was led by Assistant Police Inspector Rohit Kedar and Ganesh Jadhav under...

Rs 27 crore worth narcotics seized; inter-state cartel uncovered

Thane : In a major breakthrough against drug trafficking, Mumbra police have seized a massive stockpile of mefedrone valued at approximately 27.21 crore. Acting on critical intelligence, the Narcotics Control Unit conducted a special operation extending as far as Madhya Pradesh, resulting in the arrest of five key drug traffickers involved in supplying large quantities of mefedrone to the Thane region.   The operation was led by Assistant Police Inspector Rohit Kedar and Ganesh Jadhav under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector Anil Shinde. The initial seizure took place near Bilal Hospital, where suspect Basu Sayyed was caught with 23.5 grams of mefedrone. Further interrogation revealed a large-scale supply chain sourcing drugs from Madhya Pradesh.   Subsequently, police arrested Ramsingh Gujjar and Kailas Balai, recovering an additional 3.515 kilograms of mefedrone from their possession. Investigations traced the supply back to two major traffickers Manohar Gurjar and Raju Mansuri based in Madhya Pradesh.   The Mumbra police team then traveled to Madhya Pradesh, arresting both Gurjar and Mansuri and confiscating a staggering 9.956 kilograms of mefedrone from them.   In total, the operation resulted in the seizure of 13.6295 kilograms of mefedrone, with a street value exceeding 27.21 crore. All five accused have been taken into custody.   According to police sources, the arrested individuals have prior records involving serious offenses under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Indian Penal Code, and Arms Act. They were engaged in trafficking mefedrone in bulk quantities from Madhya Pradesh to the Thane region.   This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of ACP Priya Damale (Kalwa Division), Senior Police Inspector Anil Shinde, Crime Inspector Sharad Kumbhar, and supported by the NDPS unit officers and staff of Mumbra Police Station.   Since January this year, Mumbra police’s NDPS unit has conducted 954 seizures and 58 raids, confiscating narcotics worth over 48 crore, significantly impacting drug trafficking activities in the area.

BJP’s Bihar victory cements Tawde’s reputation

Mumbai: The thumping victory of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the recent Bihar Assembly elections was more than just a mandate for development; it was a resounding validation of meticulous planning and astute political strategy. At the operational heart of this success was Vinod Tawde, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) National General Secretary and the designated in-charge for Bihar affairs. For Tawde, an organisational veteran who spent decades navigating the volatile politics of Maharashtra, the victory marked a powerful vindication—a testament to his patience and his capacity to deliver a complex win far from his home state. Tasked by the central leadership with the unambiguous mandate to win “at any cost,” Tawde successfully engineered a path to power, establishing himself as a key figure in the BJP’s national strategic command.


Tawde’s contribution to the Bihar campaign was defined by his sharp focus on two critical areas: messaging and social coalition building. Recognizing the deeply layered social dynamics of the state, Tawde immersed himself in studying Bihar’s complex caste equations and electoral history, a far cry from the urban Maratha politics he once knew. This deep dive allowed him and his team to craft a winning narrative that effectively combined the central government’s focus on welfare and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity with the regional relevance of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. His expertise in what party insiders term "social engineering" helped the BJP solidify its base while expanding its outreach to diverse social groups, building a sturdy coalition of support.


Decisive strategy

The most decisive strategic victory attributed to Tawde came long before the election results were announced - orchestrating the return of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) to the NDA fold. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Tawde was part of the core team that successfully broke the rival RJD-JD(U) alliance, clearing the path for the formation of a formidable dual-engine government structure that proved unbeatable in the Assembly polls. The resulting landslide, where the NDA secured a commanding three-fourth majority, was a direct consequence of this foundational alliance work. Gracious in victory, Tawde attributed the success to "teamwork" and the combined leadership of Modi and Kumar, downplaying his own crucial role as the architect on the ground.


ABVP days

Tawde’s ability to handle high-stakes national assignments is rooted in a decades-long career spent building the BJP's organisation from the ground up in Maharashtra. Starting with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), he rose through the ranks, mentored by stalwarts like the late Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde. He served multiple terms as the Maharashtra General Secretary, became the youngest President of the BJP Mumbai city unit in 1999, and later held the crucial post of Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. After his electoral debut in 2014, he went on to serve as a powerful Cabinet Minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, holding key portfolios like School Education, Higher and Technical Education.


However, his political journey was not without turbulence. A shock denial of a ticket in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections forced him into a period of political uncertainty. It was during this time that Tawde demonstrated his remarkable discipline and organizational loyalty, quietly resuming work for the party until his eventual comeback in 2021 as a National General Secretary in J.P. Nadda’s team. His transition from influential state minister to key national strategist was initially challenging, yet the Bihar victory has now cemented his reputation as a reliable, patient, and results-oriented leader capable of delivering electoral success in any environment. As he now sets his sights on potential new assignments, party observers note that the central leadership is likely to entrust him with similar crucial roles in other states, recognizing that his strategic shift from Mumbai to Delhi politics has been rewarded with a "giant leap" victory that will inevitably impact national politics.

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