The Narcotics Control Bureau has busted three labs manufacturing banned drug Mephedrone, also known as Meow-Meow, in Rajasthan and Gujarat and seized narcotics worth Rs 300 crore.
Seven people involved in running the illegal labs have been arrested, police said, adding that they have identified the kingpin of the network who will be arrested soon.
The labs were discovered after three months of "intensive" technical and ground surveillance by NCB and Gujarat police, NCB Deputy Director General Gyaneshwar Singh said.
The two agencies conducted joint raids under operation Prayogsala-1. "Information was received by ATS Gujarat Police from a confidential source regarding clandestine Mephedrone manufacturing labs operating from Gujarat and Rajasthan. To bust these labs, a joint team of ATS Gujarat police and NCB Headquarters Operations unit was constituted," NCB said in a statement.
A total of 149 kg of mephedrone along with 50 kg ephedrine and 200 litres of acetone that are used in its production were also recovered from the three labs located in the two districts of Rajasthan and one in Gujarat.
The anti-drugs agency is currently conducting a similar raid in in Gujarat's Amreli. More recoveries are expected, they said.
Efforts are on to track and identify the source of the chemicals as well as the national and international distribution network.
This comes after several raids across different states in India have led to the seizure of drugs worth over Rs 4,000 crore so far.
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