Mumbai, 9 Dec: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a mephedrone manufacturing unit and seized 128 kilograms of the banned drug worth Rs 192 crore in Wardha district of Maharashtra, officials said on Tuesday.
Three persons, including the alleged mastermind who also acted as the financier and chemist, were arrested during the operation conducted on Sunday and Monday, an official said.
“Based on specific information, DRI launched ‘Operation Hinterland Brew’ in a remote area of Karanja (Ghadge), which is nearly 60 km from Wardha,” he said.
The officials conducted a raid at a makeshift facility concealed in shrubs, where they found a fully functional synthetic drug manufacturing set-up, the official said.
Three persons, including the alleged mastermind of the syndicate, were arrested during the operation, he said.
They were involved in the manufacturing and distribution of mephedrone, he said, adding that they were arrested under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the official said.
Besides the recovery of 128 kilograms of “high quality” mephedrone, they seized 245 kilograms of precursor chemicals and raw materials, along with reactors, vessels and equipment used for manufacturing of drugs during the operation, he said.
A release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said the DRI dismantled the clandestine facility, which had been deliberately set up and operated by local individuals to blend into the rural landscape and evade detection.
The manufacturing unit itself was a temporary, modular, non-descript structure concealed deep within the shrubland, it said. (PTI)
With this operation, the DRI has dismantled five clandestine drug manufacturing facilities so far this year through intelligence-driven actions, the release added. (PTI)