In a significant anti-drug operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has shut down an illegal mephedrone manufacturing unit in Ambedkar Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh. They arrested two suspects and seized large amounts of drugs and raw materials.
The operation began after previous arrests in Ahmedabad. There, the ATS had found a small amount of mephedrone and traced its supply back to Uttar Pradesh. Based on questioning and technical surveillance, a joint team from Gujarat ATS and Uttar Pradesh Police raided a poultry farm in Ramnagar village. This was where the illegal drug unit was operating undercover.
During the raid, officials seized about 6 kg of mephedrone, over 50 kg of liquid mephedrone, 88 kg of controlled chemicals, and nearly 200 kg of raw materials used for drug production. The total value of the seized drugs is estimated at around ₹20 crore in the illegal market.
The two suspects, identified as Kapil Sharma and Ramshankar alias Pankaj, were arrested at the scene. Investigators stated that they had been running this operation for several months. They used basic chemical knowledge and equipment while hiding the manufacturing setup to evade law enforcement.
Officials indicated that this illegal unit was part of a larger interstate drug network. The mephedrone produced at this facility was allegedly distributed to multiple states through established channels. A case has been filed under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Further investigations are ongoing to uncover the complete supply chain and identify other people involved.
This crackdown underscores the increased efforts by law enforcement agencies to dismantle synthetic drug networks operating across states, especially those targeting urban youth markets.
