Lalit Patil, a notorious drug kingpin hailing from Pune, has been captured in Chennai, concluding a two-week-long manhunt.

The story unfolds with the apprehension of a narcotics peddler found in possession of mephedrone (MD), a potent stimulant, a couple of months ago. This initial arrest set off a chain of events that eventually led the Sakinaka police of Mumbai to a clandestine drug manufacturing facility tucked away in Nashik.

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Having managed to slip away from Sassoon General Hospital in Pune a fortnight earlier, the Mumbai police finally managed to detain Lalit Patil. He is the prime suspect linked to the Mephedrone production unit in Nashik, which had been dismantled recently.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad police had previously arrested Patil back in December 2020, leading to his incarceration at Yerwada Central Prison.

Earlier arrest of Lalit Patil:

In June of the current year, Lalit found himself admitted to Pune’s Sassoon Hospital, ostensibly for hernia and tuberculosis treatment. However, on September 30, Pune city police apprehended one of Patil’s associates, Subhash Janaki Mandal, aged 29. The authorities seized Mandal near the hospital premises, in possession of more than 1.71 kilograms of mephedrone valued at Rs 2.14 crore. This arrest proved to be the unraveling of Lalit Patil’s intricate drug network.

Law enforcement agencies were swift in tracking down Patil’s whereabouts, eventually locating him in Chennai. Local police forces collaborated with their Mumbai counterparts to arrest Patil from a hotel in the city. Currently in transit back to the city, Lalit might appear before a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday.

With Lalit Patil’s arrest and the extensive cross-state investigation leading up to it, authorities have successfully dismantled a network of drug producers and distributors. This nefarious group specialized in the manufacturing of contraband substances, operating under the facade of a pharmaceutical unit.

During his time in prison, Patil professed illness, securing his transfer to Sassoon Hospital. From there, he is alleged to have continued overseeing his criminal organization. The media spotlight on this audacious operation brought the circumstances to the forefront, culminating in Patil’s daring escape from the hospital on October 2. Subsequently, allegations surfaced suggesting that two government cabinet ministers had facilitated his escape in a brazen and controversial manner.