The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Delhi, jointly carried out an operation to seize Mephedrone (MD) drugs valued at ₹1,814 crore from a factory in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, in a raid conducted on October 5.
Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi in a post today on social media platform X, congratulated the law enforcement teams.
Kudos to Gujarat ATS and NCB (Ops), Delhi, for a massive win in the fight against drugs!
Recently, they raided a factory in Bhopal and seized MD and materials used to manufacture MD, with a staggering total value of ₹1814 crores!
This achievement showcases the tireless efforts… pic.twitter.com/BANCZJDSsA
— Harsh Sanghavi (@sanghaviharsh) October 6, 2024
A statement released by Gujarat Police mentions that Gujarat ATS DySP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) S L Chaudhary received information regarding a group running a mephedrone (MD) drug manufacturing unit in Bhopal.
Subsequently, the ATS identified Amit Chaturvedi (57), a Bhopal resident, and Sanyal Bane (40), a Nashik resident, behind this drug syndicate.
The duo ran technical production of these drugs under the guise of a manufacturing unit in Bagroda Industrial Estate in Bhopal.
In a raid conducted at the site, the teams of Gujarat ATS and NCB seized a total of 907.09 kg of MD (both in solid and liquid form). The estimated value of this seizure in the international market is said to be ₹1,814.18 crore.
Alongside, around 5,000 kg of raw material and equipment used for the production of MD, including grinders, motors, glass flasks, heaters, and other apparatus, were also confiscated.
During his interrogation, Sanyal Bane revealed that he was arrested in 2017 in connection with an MD seizure case at Mumbai’s Amboli Police Station. He had also served 5 years in jail.
After his release, he conspired with Amit Chaturvedi to illegally manufacture and sell MD to make financial profits.
Together, they conspired and rented a shed in the industrial estate around six to seven months ago. For the last three to four months, they had amassed the required raw materials and equipment, and used to produce drugs through chemical processes, which they later sold illegally.
The seized factory, operating in an approximately 22,500 sq ft shed, is the largest illegal factory ever busted by Gujarat ATS. It can produce approximately 25 kg of MD per day, as per the official police statement.
A thorough investigation to determine the wider links of this cartel is currently underway.
Drug menace in Gujarat
According to the data released by the poll panel, in May 2024, as the Lok Sabha elections concluded, Gujarat accounted for nearly one-third of the total value of drugs seized by the Election Commission (EC).
Between March 1 and May 18, drug seizures across the country amounted to ₹3,958.85 crore, representing almost 45% of the total value of seized items worth ₹8,889 crore.
As much as drugs valued at ₹1,187.8 crore, or nearly 30%, were seized from Gujarat alone.