DRI busts illegal Mephedrone factory in Maharashtra's Latur, seven arrested

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 9 : In a crackdown on narcotics manufacturing, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a clandestine factory producing Mephedrone in Latur district of Maharashtra and arrested a total of seven people including a police constable, said a police statement.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, DRI officials raided the facility in the early hours of April 8 in the remote hilly region of Rohina Village and arrested five people.
During the operation, DRI personnel recovered a total of 11.36 kilograms of Mephedrone -8.44 kg in dry form and 2.92 kg in liquid form. The estimated value of the seized Mephedrone in the illicit market is pegged at approximately Rs 17 crore.
Additionally, a significant quantity of raw materials and full-scale laboratory equipment used for the manufacture of the banned substance were seized from the premises.
According to officials, five individuals found operating the illegal lab were taken into custody, including a serving police constable. Swift follow-up action by the DRI led to the arrest of two more individuals in Mumbai, believed to be the syndicate's distributor and financier.
All seven accused have confessed to their respective roles in financing, manufacturing, and distributing the psychotropic drug.