Bhopal is emerging as a hub for synthetic narcotics production, as established by yet another illegal drug factory being busted on Monday. The lab, located in Jagdishpur, Islam Nagar on the outskirts of Bhopal, was raided by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) as part of “Operation Crystal Break.”
Assisted by Surat and Mumbai Police, the DRI seized 61.2 kg of Mephedrone (MD) and 541.53 kg of precursor chemicals worth nearly ₹162 crore. Seven individuals, allegedly working for a foreign drug kingpin, were arrested.
This was not an isolated case. Earlier, another drug factory was uncovered in Bagroda Industrial Area near Katara Hills in Bhopal. That operation, led by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and the Narcotics Control Bureau in Delhi, exposed a syndicate producing 907 kg of Mephedrone valued at over ₹1,800 crore as reported by NDTV.
The cartel had been operating under the guise of a fertilizer business, running a high-tech drug manufacturing den while local police remained unaware. Crackdowns in the aftermath revealed that similar cartels were active in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Two supply handlers were caught in Mumbai, and a hawala operator was arrested, exposing the syndicate’s financial network.
More recently, the arrests of a Nigerian national and a Thai woman were linked to the MDMA network run by an uncle-nephew duo, Shahwar Ahmed and Yasin Ahmed. A media report by NDTV highlighted that Bhopal is no longer just a transit point for drugs—it has now become a base for large-scale drug production.
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