NCB, Raj Police bust secret lab in Sirohi, seize chemicals used to manufacture Mephedrone

New Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) The Narcotics Control Bureau and Rajasthan Police have busted a clandestine lab at a remote village in Sirohi district of the state believed to be used to manufacture Mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant and psychotropic drug, officials said.

Chemicals weighing hundreds of kilograms have been seized, which were sufficient to manufacture about 100 kg of Mephedrone, with an estimated market value of Rs 40 crore, an official release said.

The alleged mastermind of the racket and four others have been arrested, it said.

Mephedrone is being increasingly used as a psychotropic drug in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the officials said.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the government of India is taking ruthless action against narcotics cartels to create a ‘drug-free Bharat’, the statement said.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been using the mechanism of district-level monthly NCORD meetings to sensitise the district police, especially in Rajasthan.

The police were sensitised about the issue and directed to report the presence of drums containing chemicals and lab equipment at unusual locations to the local office of the NCB, as such places could be used as a clandestine facility for manufacturing synthetic drugs such as Mephedrone.

Red flag indicators about the presence of clandestine labs were also shared by the NCB with the district police across the country.

These included windows covered or blacked out; excessive ventilation/ducting; signs of metal corrosion or chemical staining on walls/floors, buildings or sheds, formerly residential but used as labs; storage of chemicals or equipment at unusual places, etc., the statement said.

In one such instance, police in Sirohi, Rajasthan, found drums and packets containing chemicals along with lab equipment in a remote farmhouse at Daantrai village in the district on November 6.

Police shared the information with the Jodhpur NCB, after which officers reached the site and found tell-tale signs of a clandestine lab.

Hundreds of kilograms of chemicals were found, which were sufficient to manufacture about 100 kg of Mephedrone, with an approximate street price of Rs 40 crore, the statement said.

A team from the National Forensic Science University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, was called in for inspection, which confirmed the presence of precursors being used in the lab equipment seized from the site.

During the investigation, the main characters behind running the lab were identified, five of whom have been arrested from different parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat by the NCB, with assistance from the Rajasthan Police.

Those arrested included the mastermind, Vala Ram. During interrogation, Ram, a graduate, revealed that after failing to clear various competitive exams, including the civil service, he decided to manufacture Mephedrone to earn quick money, the statement said. PTI ACB ARI ARI