DRI busts Hyderabad drug ring: 7 arrested with 25 kg mephedrone worth ₹50 crore

Mephedrone is a psychoactive drug producing similar effects to MDMA, amphetamine and cathinone, and is used for recreational purposes.

ByAjay Tomar

Published Dec 26, 2022 | 11:14 PMUpdatedDec 26, 2022 | 11:15 PM

The DRI officials arrested seven people, including the alleged kingpin and main financer, and claimed to have busted an entire mephedrone network across India. (Creative Commons)

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Monday, 26 December, said that it had busted two covert mephedrone manufacturing laboratories in Hyderabad and seized 24.885 kg of it in finished form, worth ₹ 49.77 crore in the grey market.

Mephedrone is a psychoactive drug producing effects similar to MDMA, amphetamine, and cathinone, and is used for recreational purposes.

The drug is locally known as meph, MCAT, bubbles, drone, miaow, white magic, and m-smack.

The DRI officials arrested seven people, including the alleged kingpin and main financer, and claimed to have busted an entire mephedrone network across India.

They also seized in-process materials, sale proceeds worth ₹18.90 lakh, raw materials, machinery, and vehicles used for trafficking.

Operation mephedrone

Equipment used to make mephedrone. (Supplied)

Equipment used to make mephedrone. (Supplied)

Acting on the specific inputs, the DRI started its operation on 21 December and raided the two mephedrone covert laboratories in Hyderabad.

But the kingpin and main financer manufacturing mephedrone drug in India were arrested in a follow-up action at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh while they were attempting to flee from India to Nepal along with ₹60 lakh cash.

As per the DRI officials, the seizure dealt a blow to the plans of the accused to commit nefarious activities during the New Year and afterwards.

It has been reported that consumption of mephedrone leads to euphoria, stimulation, an enhanced appreciation for music, elevated mood, decreased hostility, improved mental function, and mild sexual stimulation.

Also read: Hyderabad police bust international drug ring, arrest 2

Repeat offenders across India

As per DRI officials, some of the arrested persons were also arrested in 2016 for the covert manufacturing of 236 kg ephedrine in Indore in Madhya Pradesh) and in July this year for the manufacture of 667 kg mephedrone at Yamuna Nagar in Haryana.

They have also been slapped with cases of escape from prison in Indore, a murder in Hyderabad, and robberies in Vadodara.

This year, the DRI claimed to have seized about 990 kg of heroin, 88 kg of cocaine, 10,000 methamphetamine (meth) tablets, 2,400 litres of phensedyl cough syrup, and various other drugs banned under the 1985 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.