Rajasthan's Most-Wanted MD Drug Mastermind Arrested In Kolkata After 8-Year Manhunt

Rajasthan ATS and ANTF arrested Ramesh, a top-10 most-wanted criminal with a ₹1 lakh reward, in Kolkata after an eight-year search. He ran a five-state MD drug trafficking network, posing as a teacher.

Rajasthan ATS and ANTF arrested Ramesh, a top-10 most-wanted criminal, who ran an MD drug trafficking network.

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Joint teams of the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) have arrested a man alleged to be the key figure behind an illegal MD (synthetic drug) trafficking racket, bringing to an end an eight-year-long search, police said on Friday.

Inspector General of Police (ATS and ANTF) Vikas Kumar confirmed the arrest and said the accused has been identified as Ramesh, who also operated under the names Ramlal and Anil. He is listed among Rajasthan’s top 10 most-wanted criminals and was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, ANI reported.

According to the IG, the accused had built an extensive drug distribution network spanning at least five states, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Telangana.

Calling the operation a major breakthrough, Kumar said sustained surveillance and continuous tracking led joint ATS-ANTF teams to the New Town area of Kolkata in West Bengal, where the accused was finally apprehended. The teams had remained stationed in Bengal for nearly ten days before executing the arrest.

Police said the accused had deliberately severed ties with his associates, kept his mobile phones switched off and assumed a false identity. He was reportedly living in a residential area while posing as a chemistry teacher and a chemical trader.

The IG further said the accused was in the process of reviving his illegal drug operations from Kolkata. However, before the network could be reactivated, the ANTF intervened and arrested him.

In a separate development, Indore police on Thursday arrested three persons and seized 513 grams of MD drugs in Madhya Pradesh. The Crime Branch identified the accused as Nikhil and Mukesh, both residents of Mandsaur district in Madhya Pradesh, and Kamlesh, a resident of Rajasthan.

Police said the three were travelling on a motorcycle and transporting the drug consignment from Rajasthan. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a police check was set up on MR-4 road. When the suspects attempted to flee after spotting the police, they were chased and apprehended. A search led to the recovery of the contraband, officials said.