Pune police detain farmer for illegal opium cultivation

Pune Police have detained Mangal Jawalkar, 45, after seizing 66 illegally cultivated opium plants from his farm in Alandi Mhatobachi village. The plants, valued at Rs 40,000, were discovered during a police investigation following a tip-off. In a separate incident, police raided a farm in Nhavi village, where three farmers were found growing opium hidden among onion crops. Authorities confiscated opium saplings worth Rs 27.5 lakh, weighing 883 kg, and detained the farmers involved. These incidents follow previous cases of illegal opium cultivation in the Pune area, highlighting ongoing concerns about drug farming in local villages.