NEW DELHI, Apr 27: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in a joint operation with Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has busted a network of clandestine mephedrone manufacturing laboratories in Gujarat and Rajasthan, the NCB said on Saturday.
The NCB has also arrested seven persons in this connection and has identified the “kingpin” of the operation. The NCB said three state of the art laboratories have been detected and drugs worth about ₹300 crore seized.
Stating that searches were under way at four locations and more seizures were expected, NCB Deputy Director General (Ops) Gyaneshwar Singh said 149 kg mephedrone (in powder and liquid form), 50 kg ephedrine, and 200 litres of acetone had been seized so far.
The operation spanning over three months was launched on the inputs received by the ATS about mephedrone manufacturing labs operating in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Technical and ground surveillance was mounted to identify the persons involved in the network and locate the labs.
Based on the findings, in the early hours of Saturday, the joint teams raided the three premises in Bhinmal of Jalore district and Osian of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan, and Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
Based on the interrogation of the persons arrested in Gandhinagar, another site has been identified in Amreli (Gujarat), where raids are in progress. “The kingpin of this network has been identified and will be arrested soon. Efforts are being made to track and identify the source of precursor chemicals as well as the distribution network, national as well as any International linkages,” Mr Singh said.
Mephedrone, also known as 4-methylmethcathinone, 4-MMC, and 4-methylephedrone, is a synthetic stimulant drug of the amphetamine and cathinone classes. Its slang names are drone, M-CAT, white magic, ‘meow meow’ and bubble.
(Manas Dasgupta)
