₹250-cr drugs seized in Sambhaji Nagar; 2 held

Mumbai:The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has carried out a search on a factory involved in the alleged production of narcotic substances in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, earlier known as Aurangabad, and seized contraband worth ₹250 crore, ₹30 lakh in cash. Two persons have been arrested.

The contraband included 23 kilograms of cocaine and 2.9 kilograms of mephedrone.

The agency’s Ahmedabad Zonal Unit conducted searches on Friday at several locations in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, with the help of Ahmedabad police’s Crime Branch, based on specific intelligence developed by the former under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The local police’s Crime Branch also assisted in the operation, DRI sources said.

“The search of the residential premises of one of the accused resulted in the recovery of about 23 Kg of cocaine, about 2.9 Kg of Mephedrone, and Indian currency of around ₹30 lakh,” a DRI source said. The DRI-led operation led to the detection of a factory located in Paithan MIDC, named Mahalakshmi Industries, which was allegedly involved in the production of psychotropic substances, mephedrone and ketamine. The operation led to the alleged recovery of 4.5 kilograms of mephedrone, 4.3 kilogram of ketamine, and another mixture of mephedrone, weighing around 9.3 kilogram from this site, the source said.

The illicit market value of the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances recovered are estimated to be ₹250 crore and have been seized under the NDPS Act, 1985, the source said.

While two accused persons were arrested, the DRI is looking for their accomplices. The DRI operation puts the spotlight on the increasing use of synthetic drugs and misuse of industrial units in the manufacturing of such drugs and the importance of inter-agency cooperation in tackling the menace of narcotics in the country, the source said.