DRI Busts Illegal Drug Factory in Uttar Pradesh

• DRI dismantles illegal drug manufacturing unit operating from a house in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.
• Around 30 kg amphetamine and 30 kg precursor chemicals seized during the operation.
• A foreign national and an Indian woman arrested under the NDPS Act.
• Agency says four clandestine drug manufacturing facilities have been busted in the past month.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 13th Aug: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a clandestine drug manufacturing facility operating from a residential premises in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, seizing approximately 30 kg of amphetamine, around 30 kg of precursor chemicals, and a complete set of equipment allegedly used for manufacturing psychotropic substances.

The intelligence-based operation was carried out during the intervening night of August 9 and 10, leading to the detection of a fully equipped illegal laboratory. Officials recovered electrical furnaces, scientific measuring instruments, hose pipes, reagents and other specialised apparatus used in the clandestine production of narcotic drugs.

During the search, DRI officers also seized multiple containers filled with precursor chemicals, raw materials and reagents, along with white crystalline and powdery substances. Preliminary field testing confirmed the presence of amphetamine, a psychotropic substance listed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

A foreign national and his Indian female associate, who were allegedly operating the illegal manufacturing unit, were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act.

According to the DRI, preliminary investigations revealed that the accused brought manufacturing equipment and raw materials to the premises during night hours, operated the laboratory for about a week, and later dismantled the setup and cleaned the house before leaving. The process was allegedly repeated every two to three months to avoid attracting suspicion from local residents.

The agency said the latest operation is part of its intensified crackdown on illicit drug manufacturing and trafficking networks across the country.

In the past month alone, DRI has dismantled three other clandestine drug manufacturing facilities. These include a Mephedrone manufacturing unit in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, an Alprazolam and Diazepam manufacturing facility in Satara, Maharashtra, and a Tramadol manufacturing and export network in Ambernath, Maharashtra, which was linked to an attempt to smuggle one lakh Tramadol tablets to Nigeria.

The DRI said its recent operations underscore a sustained strategy to dismantle the complete ecosystem supporting illegal drug production, including procurement of precursor chemicals, operation of clandestine laboratories, financing, trafficking, storage and attempted export of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.