Two individuals who had been evading the law for three years have been apprehended by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) Ghatkopar Unit. The accused, Lakshmikant Ram Pradhan alias Lakshmibhai, the leader of an inter-state Ganja smuggling gang, and one of his associates, Bidyadhar Brundavan Pradhan, were arrested on 9th December 2023 in Odisha, where they had been living covertly under false identities.

According to an insider source from the Ghatkopar ANC, “Lakshmikant, along with Bidyadhar and eight others, operated a gang involved in smuggling and selling Ganja in various parts of Mumbai, Thane, Bhivandi, Vasai, Virar, Miraroad, and Surat. Following the arrest of three gang members in 2021, Lakshmikant and Bidyadhar had fled Maharashtra and were hiding in different states to avoid capture.”