In a major crackdown on the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a clandestine factory producing Alprazolam—a psychotropic substance regulated under the NDPS Act, 1985—in Gujarat’s Valsad district. The operation, codenamed “Operation White Cauldron,” led to the seizure of drugs worth ₹22 crore and the arrest of four persons, including the key financiers, manufacturers, and the intended recipient of the contraband.
Based on specific intelligence inputs, Mumbai DRI officers kept a close watch on a suspected facility located in a secluded area off the Gujarat State Highway 701. On 4 November 2025, a swift and coordinated raid was conducted, exposing a full-fledged illegal manufacturing unit equipped with industrial-scale machinery. During the search, officers seized 9.55 kg of finished Alprazolam, 104.15 kg of semi-finished Alprazolam, and around 431 kg of raw materials, including critical chemicals such as p-Nitrochlorobenzene, Phosphorous Pentasulfide, Ethyl Acetate, and Hydrochloric Acid. The setup also included reactors, centrifuges, refrigeration units, and other industrial processing equipment.
The DRI arrested two individuals directly involved in the manufacturing and financing of the illegal operation, along with an employee assisting in production. The fourth person, who had travelled from Telangana to collect the finished drug consignment, was also taken into custody.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the seized Alprazolam was intended to be supplied to Telangana, where it was likely to be mixed with toddy for illicit consumption. The agency noted that in a similar operation in August 2025, a factory manufacturing Alprazolam was busted in Atchuthapuram, Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh, where 119.4 kg of the same drug—also meant for distribution in Telangana—was seized.
With this latest success, the DRI has dismantled four clandestine drug manufacturing units across the country this year alone. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to the Government of India’s “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan,” emphasizing its continued efforts to curb the production and distribution of narcotic and psychotropic substances and to protect citizens from the growing menace of drug abuse.