CHENNAI: The Chennai police busted a city drug ring, a lab producing methamphetamine drugs in Andhra Pradesh, arrested five people, and detained a chemist who was cooking meth. A police team, led by Joint Commissioner RV Ramya Bharati and Deputy Commissioner E Sundaravathanan, was led to Ramesh of Hyderabad while investigating a Chennai man for possessing meth. The team later inspected a location at Ongole in AP where they found the methamphetamine (MDMA) lab. The team also seized 860 grams of the drug worth Rs 70 lakh.
It started with the team receiving a tip-off about the son of a special sub-inspector—a resident of police quarters in Chennai— being in possession of weed. Subsequently, New Washermenpet police nabbed S Rohith Manikandan (26) and seized two kg ganja and five grams of MDMA.
Further probe helped the team bust a city gang. M Thameem Rasullah (35) from Mannady would purchase drugs from AP and distribute it through Sheikh Mohammed of Ambattur, K Nakur Haneefa (38) of Royapuram, M Kaja Navaz (37) of Mannady, and M Kadhar Moideen (28) of Royapuram. While Sheikh Mohammed was absconding, police arrested other accused and seized 230 grams of MDMA.
Interrogation of the accused led the team to distribution point in Ongole. “A four-member team, who reached the location, found that it was a meth lab. The local police were not aware of it. Our police secured the lab, seized 860 grams of drugs, and arrested chemist Venkat Reddy (28) of Hyderabad,” said Sundravathanan.
Reddy, a chemistry graduate, was working for Ramesh, the lynchpin in the case. Ramesh, who is absconding, set up the lab in the industrial area in Ongole with fake licence to make it look like a chemical godown. Venkat Reddy was allegedly recruited after a formal interview and was made to stay at a rented house near the lab, police said.
According to police, it takes around 20 days to produce one batch of methamphetamine and it is then sold in bulk to smugglers in Chennai. While distributors buy one kg for about Rs 15 lakh-20 lakh, it was sold for Rs 5,000- Rs 10,000 a gram.
Sources said, one accused confided that the gang also smuggled drugs to Malaysia and Singapore. This claim is being verified, police said. Police are working to trace the source of the chemicals and nab Ramesh. While police are holding inquiry with Venkat Reddy, all other accused have been arrested under NDPS Act and remanded in judicial custody.