11 December,2025 02:17 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Minister Pankaj Bhoyal. Pic/X
Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar on Thursday said that an investigation is underway into the origins of the drug racket uncovered in Wardha district a few days back, news agency PTI reported.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, in a recent breakthrough, busted a mephedrone manufacturing unit. The DRI also seized 128 kg of the banned drug, valued at Rs 192 crore in Wardha.
"Three persons, including the alleged mastermind who also acted as the financier and chemist, were arrested during the operation conducted on Sunday and Monday," an officer told PTI.
When asked about such a huge quantity of contraband found in Wardha, Maharashtra, the Minister of State said that the authorities have sealed the unit.
The minister, while talking to the media, further said, "An investigation is underway to trace the roots of this drug racket."
Bhoyar also informed that he had already held a meeting with the local police and given them the necessary directions for action in the matter.
The operation by the DRI was conducted on December 7 and 8. Along with mephedrone, 245 kg of precursor chemicals, raw materials, and a complete drug-processing setup were also seized.
The DRI officers acted on specific intelligence and carried out discreet surveillance before raiding a remote area in Karanja (Ghadge), about 60 km from Wardha.
As per reports, the factory was hidden in dense shrubland and operated from a temporary, modular structure designed to evade detection.
An official statement further stated, "Officers recovered a fully functional drug-processing setup, including makeshift reactors and vessels used to manufacture mephedrone."
The statement also noted that three suspects, including the mastermind, who also financed and chemically supervised the operation, were arrested along with two associates. All three were actively involved in the manufacturing and distribution network of mephedrone and face charges under the NDPS Act, 1985.
This was the fifth clandestine drug factory dismantled by the DRI this year, the statement further noted.
Earlier in November, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had also busted a gold smuggling and melting network in Mumbai under "Operation Bullion Blaze." The DRI officials in a major crackdown seized 11.88 kg of gold worth Rs 15.05 crore and 8.72 kg of silver. Eleven people, including the mastermind, were arrested in the large-scale illegal bullion operation.
(With inputs from PTI)
