This is the biggest cache of brown sugar seized in the city during the recent past. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Surindar Kumar and Assistant Commissioner P N Ingale said that the total worth of the seized cache as per the Government rates is Rs 3.21 lakh. The price of the haul will be much higher in international markets.

The alleged narcotics trafficker, Mehmood Anwar Poonawala, was produced before a judicial magistrate (first class) this afternoon. The magistrate remanded him to police custody till November 4.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kumar and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ingale said that on the basis of a tip-off, the crime branch sleuths had been keeping an eye on Mehmood's activities for the pastfew weeks.

An 11-member team of crime branch sleuths led by Inspector Vishwas Chaugule and sub-inspectors Satish Govekar and Sikandar Nadaf raided his rented flat in Meetha Nagar last night, shortly after he brought the narcotics consignment in the city from Madhya Pradesh.

During the night-long operation, the sleuths carried out a thorough search of Mehmood's flat and seized the brown sugar weighing 3.210 kgs as well as a suitcase with false bottom which he allegedly used to smuggle the narcotics.

DCP Surinder Kumar said that Mehmood, who is a graduate in arts with economics as the major subject, used to work as a salesman at a shop in the city when he came in contact with some narcotics traffickers who are at present in jail.

Mehmood allegedly quit his job shortly after he started dealing in narcotics, but continued to live a luxurious lifestyle. Mehmood had rented a spacious flat besides purchasing a car, he added.

ACP Ingale said that this is the fifth incident during the last ten months inwhich the sleuths have seized narcotics.

On January 12, the Vigilance Branch sleuths had arrested a person near Shivaji Market in Pune Cantonment and seized brown sugar weighing 11 grams from him. A month later, the police raided a flat in Pune Cantonment area and seized brown sugar estimated at Rs 2,500 from two persons.

On February 15, the sleuths arrested a person in Kondhwa Kamela and seized ganja weighing 7.895 kgs from him. On April 18, the police arrested a person in Budhwar Peth and seized ganja weighing 6.670 kms from him.