The Gujarat Police claimed to have busted an international drug racket with the seizure of 1,364 kg of Ephedrine, a raw material used in the manufacture of party drug methamphetamine. The contraband is valued at Rs 270 crore in the international market.
The drug haul was made in a joint operation by the Ahmedabad crime branch and the anti-terrorist squad during a raid on a factory on the city’s outskirts.
Police say the drug was meant for sale in Europe and India, and that this could be one of the biggest seizures in India.
A former Congress MLA Bhavsinh Rathod’s son Kishorsinh has emerged as the kingpin of this operation. He is yet to be arrested.
Following the raids at Riya Industries on Vehlala-Zak Road here, its owner Narendra Kachha was also arrested.
“Kishorsinh Rathod and a Mumbai-based man Jay Mukhi had procured this drug from Sholapur in Maharashtra from a person named Punit. They gave this drug to Kachha to convert it into crystal meth (methamphetamine), a party drug,” crime branch joint commissioner of police, JK Bhatt said at a press meet.
Kachha, who has a BSc degree, is involved in pharmaceutical business for the last 20 years and has the expertise to make the party drug from ephedrine, said the police.
{{/usCountry}}Kachha, who has a BSc degree, is involved in pharmaceutical business for the last 20 years and has the expertise to make the party drug from ephedrine, said the police.
{{/usCountry}}Ephedrine is used in drugs that prevent low blood pressure and also for asthma, narcolepsy and obesity. It is a Schedule A controlled substance and as per the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, its purchase, sale and possession and import, export are banned without licence.