The Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ahmedabad in a joint operation busted a factory in Aurangabad, Maharashtra and seized narcotics drugs worth nearly Rs 250 crore.
In a statement, DRI said that the joint team raided a factory located at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar following an intelligence input generated by it and DCB. The factory set up in Paithan MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) named “Mahalakshmi Industries” was found to be involved in manufacturing mephedrone and ketamine.
The team seized a total of 4.5 kg of mephedrone, 4.3 kg of ketamine and another mixture of mephedrone weighing about 9.3 kg from this site. DRI said that the illicit market value of the drugs and psychotropic substances are said to be over Rs 250 crore.
The central agency said that two persons, including the key conspirator, have been arrested under the provisions of NDPS Act, 1985. The key-conspirator has been identified as Jitesh Hanoriya, originally a resident of Botad district in Gujarat. Hanoriya is said to be a chemist who was using the factory as a lab for drug production. The co-accused have been identified as Kumavat.
According to DRI, the raid at the residential premises of Hanoriya has resulted in the recovery of 23 kg cocaine, about 2.9 kg of mephedrone and Rs 30 lakh cash.
Sources said that the accused were producing the banned substances which were being distributed to states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, among other states. DCB developed the intelligence following a seizure of drugs a couple of months ago.
DRI said that the operation once again put “the spotlight on increasing use of synthetic drugs and misuse of industrial units in manufacturing of these drugs. The operation also highlights the importance of interagency cooperation in tackling the menace of narcotics in the country.”
(Published 22 October 2023, 09:51 IST)