Absconding drug lords wanted in Maharashtra arrested by UP STF

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 11 (ANI): The Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police along with the Crime Branch team of Pune on Tuesday arrested two accused in relation to the 150 kg of MDMA drugs worth Rs 300 crores which were recovered in Maharashtra.
Sunil Tambe, Assistant Police Commissioner of Crime Branch, Pune, informed the UP STF that the two accused were present in Lucknow and were trying to flee to Nepal and thereafter they were arrested by STF. Abhishek Bilas Balakwade and Bhushan Anil Patil were the two accused and both were involved in a lot of drug trafficking cases in Maharashtra.
6 pieces of ATM cards, number of mobile phones and Rs 2100 cash were seized from the two accused.
On interrogation, the two accused informed that Bhushan Anil Patil is the younger brother of the drug mafia Lalit Patil and Abhishek Bilas is the main manager of Balakwade Lalit Patil's drugs network.
Both of them said that they along with Lalit Patil were manufacturing banned MDMA (drug) which was used in pubs, bars and rave parties since 2014. For this work, factories were set up by them in Aurangabad, Pune and Nashik.
After the arrest of Lalit Patil in 2020, on the instructions of Lalit, his brother Bhushan Anil Patil and manager Abhishek Bilas Balakwade took command of the entire gang.
On 04-08-2023, after the names of Lalit Patil and other gang members came up in the recovery of 150 kg MD drug in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Lalit Patil escaped from police custody by conspiring with Bhushan Anil Patil and Abhishek Bilas Balakwade.
The accused also informed that they received raw material for making MDMA (drug) from Shivji Shinde of Nashik district.
After legal proceedings, the arrested accused were handed over to the team of Assistant Police Commissioner of Pune Crime Branch, who will take further action.
Investigations is underway and further details are awaited. (ANI)