Shepherd Arrested with Charas Worth Rs 35 Lakh in Shekhadi Village
The Shrivardhan police have arrested a 63-year-old shepherd and seized 9.142 kilograms of contraband charas worth approximately Rs 34.98 lakh in Shekhadi village, located within the Shrivardhan taluka of Raigad district.
The operation began on July 18 when the police laid a trap for the suspect following a tip-off. The informant had notified the police that the suspect was actively selling charas in the area. During this initial trap, officers caught the man in possession of 2.146 kilograms of charas, which was valued at Rs 10.73 lakh.
The arrested individual was identified as Sadik Abrahim Shekhdare, a resident of Shekhadi village. Following his apprehension, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Shrivardhan police station on July 19.
A local court subsequently remanded Shekhdare to police custody until July 22. During his interrogation while in custody, the accused led the police team to a boat where he had hidden an additional quantity of the illicit substance. Upon searching the vessel, police discovered and seized another 6.996 kilograms of charas, which was valued at Rs 24.25 lakh. This second recovery brought the total weight of the seized contraband to 9.142 kilograms, with a total estimated value of Rs 34.98 lakh.
According to Surendra Garad, the police inspector of Shrivardhan, the accused claimed that he did not purchase the drugs. Instead, Shekhdare told investigators that he found the charas sachets washed ashore on Shekhadi beach in August 2023.
This timeline aligns with a larger occurrence in August 2023, when a total of 107 charas packets washed ashore at various beaches across the Raigad district. The packets recovered from the beaches during that period were labelled as 'Afghan Product'. At the time, authorities speculated that drug traffickers were smuggling the narcotics via sea routes, and the packets either fell into the water or the transport vessel capsized at an unknown location in the middle of the sea.
