DRI seizes 119.4 kg of Alprazolam worth Rs. 23.88 crore from Manufacturing Facility in Andhra Pradesh
The raid led to the seizure of 119.4 kg of Alprazolam in lumpy form, valued at ₹23.88 crore, along with 87.8 kg of in-process material.
The Directorate of RevenueIntelligence (DRI) has unearthed two major clandestine drug manufacturing facilities, one in Andhra Pradesh and another one located at Madhya Pradesh, seizing narcotics worth more than ₹115 crore in the illicit market.
Alprazolam, sold under the brand name Xanax among others, is a fast-acting, potent tranquilizer of moderate duration within the triazolobenzodiazepine group of chemicals called benzodiazepines.
In the first operation, DRI officials from Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Kakinada busted a clandestine Alprazolam manufacturing unit at Atchuthapuram, Anakapalli District, Andhra Pradesh. The raid led to the seizure of 119.4 kg of Alprazolam in lumpy form, valued at ₹23.88 crore, along with 87.8 kg of in-process material. Officials also seized 3,600 litres of liquid raw material, 311.6 kg of solid chemicals, and sophisticated equipment including reactors, a centrifuge, and a drier.
Eight individuals, including the mastermind, chemists, financiers, and buyers, were arrested. Initial interrogation revealed that many of them were repeat offenders with criminal backgrounds, who had built their network during jail time. Investigations further indicated that the seized Alprazolam was intended for adulterating toddy in Telangana. All accused have been remanded to judicial custody.
Earlier the same day, under “Operation Crystal Break”, DRI busted another illicit drug syndicate in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, seizing 61.2 kg of Mephedrone in liquid form worth ₹92 crore. The operation, conducted with support from Surat and Mumbai police, spanned Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.
The clandestine facility at Gram-Jagdishpur (Islamnagar), Bhopal, was raided while production was in progress. Along with the seized Mephedrone, 541.53 kg of precursor chemicals and a complete set of manufacturing equipment were recovered.
Mephedrone, also known as 4-methylmethcathinone, 4-MMC, and 4-methylephedrone, is a synthetic stimulant drug belonging to the amphetamine and cathinone classes. It is commonly referred to by slang names such as drone, M-CAT, white magic, meow meow, and bubble.
Seven key members of the syndicate were arrested, including chemists, raw material suppliers, transporters, and a hawala operator who handled fund transfers from Surat and Mumbai to Bhopal.
Both seizures fall under the ambit of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which prohibits the illegal manufacture and trafficking of psychotropic substances such as Alprazolam and Mephedrone.
The DRI has dismantled six clandestine Mephedrone factories in the last one year in its continued crackdown on narcotic syndicates across the country. A senior DRI official said these operations are a proof of the agency’s commitment to putting an end to organized narcotics manufacturing networks and their international linkages.
Further investigations into both cases are underway.
[Source: PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2157741, https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2157559]
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