NEW DELHI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted an inter-state drug network and arrested four accused, including the kingpin, from Gujarat. Drugs worth Rs 10 crore in the local market have been seized, the agency said.
The NCB said it gathered intelligence about an inter-state drug racket and, based on this input, its officers intercepted a Toyota Fortuner SUV with a Karnataka registration number at Palsana in Surat district of Gujarat on January 28. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of around 35 kg of mephedrone.
Following this, a search was conducted at the residence of Mahindra Kumar Vishnoi, the alleged mastermind of the drug network, at Dastan Residency in Palsana. The search led to the recovery of 1.8 kg of opium, cash amounting to Rs 25.6 lakh, and various chemicals.
“This operation was conducted with the assistance of the Surat Police. Three persons, including the mastermind Mahindra Kumar Vishnoi, who were transporting the same for further distribution in Rajasthan, have been arrested,” the agency said.
During the probe, the agency found that Vishnoi, who was earlier involved in the peddling of opium and smack, conceived the idea of manufacturing synthetic drugs after interacting with other inmates while lodged in jail in connection with an NDPS case. During his incarceration, he familiarised himself with the processes, market demand and supply chains of synthetic narcotics, which he later put into practice after coming out on bail by setting up a clandestine manufacturing unit in Mysore.
The unit located in the Hebbal Industrial Area of Mysore, Karnataka, was identified, and a search of the premises by the NCB revealed a fully functional clandestine laboratory equipped with sophisticated instruments used for drug manufacturing.
During the probe, the agency also found that Vishnoi is a habitual offender, with three cases registered against him in Rajasthan and one in Gujarat. It was further learnt that the clandestine lab was established in 2024 and that the accused had since manufactured and distributed multiple consignments of drugs.
“This unit, which was being operated under the guise of manufacturing chemicals for cleaning purposes, was taken on rent by a co-accused and relative of the mastermind, Vishnoi, who has also been arrested,” the agency said.
So far, drugs valued at about Rs 10 crore in the local market, cash worth Rs 25.6 lakh, the Toyota Fortuner vehicle, and various chemicals weighing over 500 kg have been seized in the case. The unit housing the clandestine lab has been sealed for examination by the forensic team.
All four accused arrested so far belong to Rajasthan’s Jalore district. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the drug cartel and to trace the supply chain of the lab equipment and chemicals used in the manufacturing process.