The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has unearthed a major synthetic drug manufacturing unit in Wardha district and seized 128 kg of Mephedrone valued at around ₹192 crore. The action, carried out under the code name “Operation Hinterland Brew,” also resulted in the recovery of 245 kg of precursor chemicals and raw materials, officials said on Tuesday.
According to the DRI, the operation was conducted on December 7 and 8 after specific intelligence indicated the presence of an illegal drug-processing unit in a remote shrubland area of Karanja (Ghadge), about 60 km from Wardha. Officers maintained discreet surveillance before raiding the spot, where they discovered a fully functional makeshift factory used for producing Mephedrone.
The unit comprised temporary modular structures concealed deep within the bushes to avoid detection. Investigators found reactors, vessels, and other equipment used in the synthesis of the banned substance. Both finished Mephedrone and the chemicals required for its manufacture were seized on the spot.
Officials said the factory was being operated by a local network. The mastermind—who functioned as the financier and chemist—along with two associates was arrested. All three accused were allegedly involved in manufacturing and distributing Mephedrone and have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
This latest crackdown marks the fifth clandestine drug laboratory dismantled by the DRI this year, reflecting the agency's intensified efforts against illegal narcotics production. The DRI said its sustained operations are aligned with the Government’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, aimed at curbing drug trafficking and protecting public health.