Synthetic drug ring busted in Gujarat, Rs 25 cr worth ketamine seized

Ahmedabad: In an operation marking its third success in three months, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ahmedabad unit busted a synthetic drug network and seized 50 kg Ketamine, estimated to be worth Rs 25 crore in the international market, officials said on Thursday.

The latest operation is part of a series of crackdowns by the DRI on clandestine pharma and chemical factories involved in the manufacturing of NDPS substances.

Earlier, DRI had disrupted syndicates producing mephedrone in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in Maharashtra, and Vapi in Gujarat. These efforts have led to the seizure of narcotics substances worth over Rs 500 crore and the discovery of three labs clandestinely manufacturing Mephedrone.

The current operation was set in motion based on precise intelligence. The DRI Ahmedabad team intercepted an export consignment at the Air Cargo Complex in Ahmedabad. Disguised as 'Hydroxylimine Hydrochloride', the shipment was scheduled for Bangkok, Thailand.

Upon thorough examination by Forensic Science Lab officers, the consignment was revealed to contain Ketamine. This led to the seizure of approximately 50 kg of the substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. This quantity of Ketamine has a significant value in the illicit international market, with an estimated worth of Rs 25 crore.

In a follow-up action, DRI officials pinpointed a factory on the outskirts of Gandhinagar, identified as the production site of this contraband. The synthetic drug was being manufactured at this facility to smuggle it out of India via air. A joint operation with Gandhinagar local police resulted in a comprehensive factory search. This search yielded an additional 46 kgs of a powdery substance, suspected to be an NDPS drug, along with various raw materials and intermediaries. The factory premises were subsequently sealed under the NDPS Act 1985.

Three key individuals believed to be central to the smuggling operation have been arrested.

Investigations into this network are ongoing.