Bust nets 2 arrests, Kush worth more than $400K

HOUSTON – Two men were arrested in a bust that netted nearly a half million dollars' worth of synthetic marijuana, Houston police said Monday.

Naushad Ramzan-Ali Pradhan, 58, and Rafeeq Panjvany, 54, are charged with delivery of synthetic cannabinoids.

Police said more than 4,000 packages of Kush, with an approximate weight of 131 pounds and approximate street value of more than $400,000, were recovered. Additionally, a large amount of cash was recovered.

An anonymous tip in July led to an investigation in which undercover officers said they met with Pradhan and purchased samples from him. Lab analysis confirmed the substances were synthetic pot, police said.

Acting HPD Police Chief Martha Montalvo said, "We are not going to relax our enforcement effort. This is a public safety issue. This is impacting the quality of life in our city. And we are committed to continuing this battle."

The undercover investigators were eventually introduced to Pradhan's business partner, Panjvany, and said they discovered a storage facility in the 11700 block of the Southwest Freeway where police claim the men were storing the Kush.

Pradhan and Panjvany were arrested Sept. 14 without incident.

Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said, "If you are listening to me right now and you are using Kush, you need to stop. This is not marijuana. Every batch is different. It's like playing Russian roulette. The next smoke could be your last. Tell your friends about the dangers."

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said police are using undercover operations to target Kush manufacturers and distributors.

He also said it is a substance-abuse issue, not a homelessness issue, and they are working hard to get it under control.

The mayor also promised he's allocating as many resources as he can to take care of the Kush epidemic. Some customers and business owners in Midtown fear that that recent raids in nearby Hermann Park pushed the problem into Midtown.

Mayor Turner said, "We are now being very fluid in our approach. And so we will move to where the problem is. The reality is when we clean up in one area, then people are moving to another. And that's going to continue to be the case."