DRI busts drug-manufacturing factory, stocks worth ₹168 crore seized

DRI busts illegal mephedrone factory in Jhabua, MP, seizing stocks worth ₹168 crores and arresting four, including the factory director.

Mumbai: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)’s Indore and Mumbai units coordinated in an agency probe that led to the busting of an illegal mephedrone-making manufacturing unit at Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh (MP) on Saturday. Psochotropic substances stocks worth ₹168 crores were seized.

DRI busts drug-manufacturing factory, stocks worth ₹168 crore seized

Four individuals, including the director of the factory, were arrested for the illegal manufacturing, and storing of Mephedrone. Mephedrone is a psychotropic substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Acting on specific intelligence developed by a team of officers, the DRI busted the factory located in the Industrial Area of Meghnagar, Jhabua, early on Saturday and subsequently sealed its premises.

The agency’s operation resulted in the recovery and seizure of 36kg of mephedrone in powder form, another 76 litres of liquid Mephedrone, and other raw materials and equipment under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act. “The factory, which was being illegally used for the manufacture of drugs, was sealed,” a DRI source said.

Representative samples drawn out of the manufactured psychotropic substance were sent to a Forensic Science Laboratory for preliminary testing. The laboratory confirmed the presence of Mephedrone in the samples. The agency has arrested four persons who were associated with the illegal makeshift factory, sources said.

The busting of the factory manufacturing the illicit substance reflected DRI’s capabilities in dismantling syndicates engaged in the manufacturing, sale, and distribution of such drugs that have the potential to harm India’s youth, agency sources said.