LUCKNOW A special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court on Friday remanded two men to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the unearthing of a massive clandestine mephedrone manufacturing laboratory in Jalaun district. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) have intensified their probe to identify the masterminds and dismantle the wider supply chain behind the syndicate.
The accused, Hemendra Kushwah, 27, a resident of Orai in Jalaun, and Santosh, 37, a native of Maharashtra, were produced before the special court following their arrest during a joint agency raid on October 29.
Investigators are focusing on establishing the laboratory’s backward and forward linkages, including tracing the sources of precursor chemicals, identifying those who arranged the raw materials and manufacturing equipment and establishing where the finished synthetic drug was intended to be supplied.
A key focus of the investigation is determining whether the laboratory was part of a larger interstate drug manufacturing and trafficking syndicate or was being operated independently. Investigators are examining the role of suspected financiers, chemical suppliers and intermediaries who may have facilitated the operation.
The agencies are also tracing the intended recipients of the mephedrone and trying to ascertain whether any consignments had been supplied before the laboratory was busted. Possible interstate distribution channels and financial transactions linked to the operation are under scrutiny.
{{/usCountry}}The agencies are also tracing the intended recipients of the mephedrone and trying to ascertain whether any consignments had been supplied before the laboratory was busted. Possible interstate distribution channels and financial transactions linked to the operation are under scrutiny.
{{/usCountry}}The investigation follows the seizure of 1,102.88 kg of drugs, semi-processed substances and precursor chemicals, collectively valued at more than ₹300 crore. The recovery included 15.44 kg of finished mephedrone, also known as MD, and 184 kg of semi-processed substances.
The operation was carried out in the early hours of Thursday at a remote village in Orai, where the agencies discovered a functional laboratory equipped to manufacture synthetic psychotropic substances. Subsequent searches at the facility and the accused’s residences led to the recovery of additional chemicals and manufacturing equipment.
Investigators are also examining the laboratory’s period of operation, its production capacity and the quantity of drugs that may have been manufactured before the raid. The financial trail is expected to provide further leads about those who funded the facility and benefited from the operation.