Hyderabad, Dec 26: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on Monday seized about 25 kg of stimulant drug Mephedrone, valued at about Rs 50 crore, from two clandestine manufacturing labs in Hyderabad, the Finance Ministry said.
“The seized 24.885 kg of mephedrone in finished form, valued at Rs. 49.77 crore in the grey market, along with in-process materials, sale proceeds of Rs. 18.90 lakh, key raw materials, machinery and vehicles used for trafficking,” the statement said.
Following on a specific intelligence alert, the DRI started a swift and well-coordinated operation on December 21 and busted the two clandestine labs. Seven persons carrying out the manufacturing in these two locations were arrested and sent to judicial custody.
The mastermind and main financier of this activity was nabbed at Gorakhpur, as he was attempting to flee to Nepal with cash of Rs 60 lakh.
Few of the accused were also in a 2016 DRI case for clandestine manufacture of 236 kg ephedrine at Indore, a July 2022 DRI case for clandestine manufacture of 667 kg mephedrone at Yamuna Nagar, a case of escape from prison at Indore, a murder case in Hyderabad, and robberies in Vadodara
This is second achievement carried out by DRI in the current financial year, following a similar case at Yamuna Nagar, Haryana, in July-August.
In this financial year, DRI have seized about 990 kg of heroin, 88 kg of cocaine, 10,000 methamphetamine tablets, 2,400 litres of Phensedyl cough syrup and various other harmful NDPS substances, committed to safeguarding the nation’s health and tackling the challenge of narco-terrorism.
