Pune Police have caught a 32-year-old man named Rajesh Kumar Sharma, who was selling illegal drugs. The police raided his home in Koregaon Park at 2:15 AM on Tuesday and found about 2.8 kilograms of MDMA crystals. These drugs are worth ₹4.2 crore, which is around $505,000.

This arrest is very important in the fight against drug selling in the city. Since January 2023, the number of drug-related arrests has gone up by 47%. Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Kumar said that this operation was the result of weeks of planning and watching Sharma, with a team of 15 officers from the Anti-Narcotics Cell.

The police found the drugs hidden in different places in Sharma's house. They discovered 1.5 kilograms in a false ceiling and 1.3 kilograms inside modified kitchen appliances. Tests showed that the MDMA was very pure, with a 92% purity level, which is higher than usual.

Sharma is linked to a big drug network that works in three states. He was sending drugs from Gujarat to places in Maharashtra and Karnataka. The police found that he'd moved ₹12.5 crore, or about $1.5 million, in the last eight months.

During questioning, Sharma revealed that he'd 23 local sellers working for him. Most of his customers were college students and young people at fancy nightclubs. About 78% of them were aged 18-25, and they often paid using cryptocurrency.

Sharma is facing serious charges and could go to jail for up to 20 years. The police will keep him in custody until October 15, 2023, while they continue to investigate. They also plan to take away properties worth ₹8.5 crore ($1.02 million) linked to his illegal activities.