Navi Mumbai: A 63-year-old shepherd was arrested by Shrivardhan police in Raigad after he was caught in possession of 2.146 kg of charas worth Rs 10.73 lakh after laying a trap on July 18 on a tip-off that he was selling charas. In his police custody remand till July 22, he led the police to a boat where he had hidden more quantity of charas, which was found weighing 6.996 kg and worth Rs 24.25 lakh. Hence, the total seized contraband was worth Rs 34.98 lakh.The arrested accused was identified as Sadik Abrahim Shekhdare, a resident of Shekhadi village, Shrivardhan taluka. An FIR under the NDPS Act was registered against him at Shrivardhan police station on July 19.Surendra Garad, police inspector of Shrivardhan, said, “The arrested accused Shekhdare claimed that he found the charas sachets on Shekhadi beach in Shrivardhan taluka in Aug 2023, when 107 charas packets were found washed ashore at different beaches across Raigad district.The drug packets washed ashore were labelled as ‘Afghan Product’. It was then speculated that the narcotics packets were likely being smuggled by drug traffickers via sea routes, when either the packets fell into the sea or the vessel transporting them may have capsized at an unknown location in the middle of the sea. Due to high tides, the narcotics packets drifted and washed up on the shores of different beaches in the Raigad district.“PI Garad said, “The accused Shekhdare was apprehended after laying a trap on the stretch of road from Shekhadi to Aaravi villages, near a crematorium at Kondivali village. As he came riding on a bike, our police team intercepted him. When his bike’s dickey was checked, we found two packets containing charas and, after interrogating him in police custody remand, he led us to more quantity of charas, he had hidden in a boat.“
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