Drugs worth Rs 1,800 cr seized in Bhopal

New Delhi/Bhopal: In a major crackdown, a joint operation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Gujarat has uncovered a massive drug manufacturing racket in Bagroda Industrial Area, near Bhopal on Sunday.

Officials recovered mephedrone (MD) drugs worth approximately Rs 1,800 crore during the raid, which is being described as one of the biggest seizures of its kind.

Only a few days earlier, the police in Delhi uncovered a massive drug haul in city’s Mahipalpur area. Authorities claimed to have seized more than 560 kg of cocaine and 40 kg of hydroponic marijuana from a godown, with an estimated market value of Rs 5,620 crore. A senior police official revealed that Tushar Goyal (40), identified as the mastermind behind the Delhi syndicate, was arrested as part of the bust. The Bhopal operation, which is still going on, took place inside a factory operating within a shed measuring around 2,500 square yards. Gujarat ATS officials, arriving in vehicles without number plates, carried out the raid in collaboration with the NCB.

Two individuals, identified as key suspects, have been arrested.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that Sanyal Prakash Bane was previously arrested in 2017 in a similar MD drug case by the police in Amboli in Mumbai. After serving five years in prison, he teamed up with Amit Chaturvedi to set up an illegal drug manufacturing operation.

The duo rented a shed in Bagroda Industrial Area six-seven months ago, where they began acquiring raw material and equipment to produce mephedrone, a banned synthetic drug.

The factory, which was found producing 25 kg of MD per day, had become a major hub for illegal drug manufacturing. During the raid, authorities seized 907 kg of mephedrone, along with 5,000 kg of raw material and drug-making equipment.

The confiscated items included grinders, motors, glass flasks, heaters, and other apparatus used in the chemical processing of drugs.

This is the largest illegal drug manufacturing unit caught by the ATS Gujarat to date, officials said. The factory had the capacity to supply large quantities of mephedrone, which was likely distributed across various regions.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to determine the full extent of the operation. They are probing how long the accused were involved in this illegal activity, where the drugs were being sold, and the financial transactions involved.

Officials are also working to identify other members of this drug ring who may have facilitated or participated in the distribution of the illegal drugs.

Further details are expected as the investigation continues. Authorities are determined to uncover all aspects of this extensive drug operation, which could have had far-reaching impacts across the country.