In a major blow to organised drug manufacturing networks, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a fully operational mobile mephedrone laboratory in Maharashtra’s Satara district, recovering narcotics and precursor materials collectively valued at around Rs 55 crore. The operation, carried out in a remote village of Karad tehsil, has resulted in the arrest of six accused, several of whom have prior criminal records under stringent anti-drug and organised crime laws.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, teams from the country’s premier anti-smuggling agency launched Operation Sahyadri Checkmate on Friday. According to officials, the accused were in the process of setting up the drug manufacturing unit when the DRI conducted the raid.
During the operation, DRI officials uncovered a sophisticated mephedrone manufacturing laboratory that had been cleverly disguised as a poultry farm to evade suspicion. The unit was designed to be mobile, with operators frequently shifting locations to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies.
The raid led to the seizure of substantial quantities of mephedrone in various stages of processing. Officials recovered 11.848 kilograms of the drug in liquid form, 9.326 kilograms in semi-liquid form, and 738 grams in crystalline form. In addition, 71.5 kilograms of raw material were seized, which officials said could have yielded approximately 15 kilograms of finished mephedrone.
The total value of the seized narcotics and precursor materials has been estimated at Rs 55 crore in the illicit drug market, officials said.
Mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant often referred to as a “party drug,” is known for its severe health risks and has been a growing concern for enforcement agencies due to its rising demand and relatively easy synthesis using chemical precursors.
Three individuals were apprehended at the site of the illegal laboratory, including the manufacturer, commonly referred to as the “cook”, the financer-cum-consigner, and the owner of the poultry farm where the unit was operating. Officials said the first consignment of the contraband had already been concealed at the farm owner’s residence.
In a follow-up operation, DRI teams intercepted and arrested two more accused who were en route to collect the finished narcotics. They were nabbed near an old octroi toll naka located in a densely forested area, officials added.
Subsequent investigations led to the detention of another individual, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six.
Officials revealed that of the five primary accused initially identified, four had previous arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act or had faced prosecution under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). This, investigators said, points to the involvement of an organised and repeat-offender network engaged in large-scale synthetic drug manufacturing and distribution.
The DRI is now probing the supply chain of chemical precursors, financial transactions, and potential interstate or international linkages connected to the operation.
The Satara raid marks the second major crackdown on illegal drug manufacturing units in the district within the past two months. In December, the Mumbai Crime Branch had busted a clandestine drug manufacturing facility in Jawali, also in Satara district, underscoring the region’s emerging profile as a hub for synthetic drug production.
Officials said sustained surveillance and intelligence-driven operations will continue to dismantle such networks and prevent the spread of synthetic narcotics, which pose serious public health and law-and-order challenges.
Further investigation in the case is ongoing.
