India drug raids: 13 arrested, £22 million worth of mephedrone seized

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) recovered 22.028 kilograms of mephedrone (in solid form) and 124 kilograms of liquid mephedrone

Thirteen people were arrested following raids at four drug manufacturing units in the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, resulting in the seizure of mephedrone valued at Rs 230 crore (approximately 22.30 million GBP), according to a news agency report.

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Narcotics Control Bureau conducted the raids jointly on Friday, prompted by a tip-off received by the ATS indicating that Ahmedabad resident Manoharlal Enani and Kuldeepsinh Rajpurohit from Rajasthan had set up mephedrone manufacturing units, PTI reported on Saturday, quoting an official.

As stated in an ATS release obtained by the news agency, the raids were conducted at the units in Sirohi and Jodhpur in Rajasthan and Piplaj village in Gandhinagar and Bhaktinagar industrial area of Amreli district in Gujarat.

"The ATS recovered 22.028 kilograms of mephedrone (in solid form) and 124 kilograms of liquid mephedrone, collectively valued at Rs 230 crore(approximately 22.30 million GBP).

“Rajpurohit was nabbed during the raid in Gandhinagar and Enani was held from Sirohi," it said.

According to the investigation, Enani was earlier jailed for seven years following his arrest by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in 2015 for his involvement in the production of mephedrone at an industrial unit in Rajasthan.

The release stated that all 13 accused were inter-connected and procuring the raw material from a company at Vapi industrial area in Valsad district.

The investigation is ongoing to determine “since when they have been producing the drug, whether they sold it in the past and who else was part of the entire cartel."

Mephedrone is a synthetic stimulant drug that produces effects similar to those of MDMA, amphetamines and cocaine.