Rs 4,131 cr drugs seized in 5 months against Rs 897 cr in entire 2023: Maharashtra government

Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic

The anti-narcotics teams seized drugs of Rs 4,131 crore in five months of 2024 in Maharashtra, a 360 per cent increase over the value of contraband seized in the last calendar year, the Maharashtra government data shows, reported news agency PTI.

The Maharashtra government also found the involvement of some police officials in drugs trade and they have been dismissed from service, Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis said in the state legislative council on Thursday, reported PTI.

He was replying to a query raised by Congress legislator Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap.

"The anti-narcotics teams carried out 12,648 operations and seized banned substances valued at Rs 897 crore in calendar year 2023. However, as of May this year, the teams conducted 6,529 operations and confiscated banned substances of Rs 4,131 crore in the state," Devendra Fadnavis said, reported PTI.

These teams were formed following the Centre's request to all state governments to develop a joint action plan, coordinating the efforts of various departments to check the production and trade of banned substances, he said.

"The Maharashtra government has also unearthed the involvement of some police officials in such malpractices, and they have been dismissed from service," the deputy CM added, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told the legislative assembly on Thursday that nobody has claimed that the 'wagh nakh' or tiger claw-shaped weapon being brought to the state from London was used by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, reported news agency PTI.

He also rejected the claim that the government spent crores of rupees to bring this weapon from Victoria and Albert Museum in London to Maharashtra, and said the travel expenses and signing of the agreement cost Rs 14.08 lakh, reported PTI.

His remarks come days after a historian claimed that the wagh nakh used by the founder of the Maratha empire to kill Bijapur Sultanate's general Afzal Khan was in Satara itself, reported PTI.

Mungantiwar informed the House that the wagh nakh will be brought from London for a period of three years and kept on display at a museum in Satara in the state from July 19, reported PTI.

The museum in London had initially agreed to give the weapon for one year, but the state government persuaded it to hand it over for display in the state for three years, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)