Maharashtra: DRI busts illicit drugs factory under "Operation Hinterland Brew"; seizes 128 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs 192 crore, 3 arrested

Wardha (Maharashtra) [India], December 9 (ANI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a clandestine Mephedrone manufacturing facility in Wardha, Maharashtra, during a targeted operation codenamed "Operation Hinterland Brew", according to an official press release.
The operations conducted on December 7 and 8 resulted in the seizure of 128 kg of Mephedrone, valued at approximately Rs. 192 crore, along with 245 kilograms of precursor chemicals, raw materials, and a complete processing setup.

Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers conducted discreet surveillance, followed by a search operation in a remote, shrub-covered area of Karanja (Ghadge), nearly 60 km from Wardha.
During the operation, officers uncovered a fully functional synthetic drug processing setup, including makeshift reactors, vessels, and other equipment used for the illicit manufacture of Mephedrone. The seizure comprised both finished product and precursor chemicals essential for its synthesis.
According to the release, the illicit factory had been deliberately set up and operated by local individuals to blend into the rural landscape and evade detection. The manufacturing unit itself was a temporary, modular, nondescript structure concealed deep within the shrubland.

According to the release, three persons operating the facility, including the mastermind, who also acted as the financier and chemist, along with his two associates, were apprehended. All three were found to be actively involved in the manufacturing and distribution network of Mephedrone, and have been arrested under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.

With this operation, the DRI has dismantled five clandestine drug manufacturing facilities so far this year through intelligence-driven actions.
The press release said, "These sustained efforts underscore DRI's continued vigilance, operational excellence, and unwavering commitment to the Government's Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, which protects citizens from the menace of narcotic and psychotropic substances."
On the same day, in Madhya Pradesh, the Rampur Baghelan police seized over 46 kg of marijuana worth more than Rs 9 lakhs after recovering four sacks of the contraband from a tin shed outside the house of Pankaj Singh Baghel in Rampur Baghelan, officials said, adding that a case under the NDPS Act has been registered and further investigation is underway.
ASP Prem Lal Kurve informed that the Rampur Baghelan police recovered four sacks of marijuana hidden under sacks of paddy under a tin shed in front of the house while searching for Pankaj Singh Baghel.
"We received information that the police at Rampur Baghelan police station, while searching Pankaj Singh Baghel, son of Satendra Pratap Singh Baghel, who resides in Bharoha, found four sacks of marijuana hidden under sacks of paddy under a tin shed in front of his house..."
ASP Kurve further stated that the four sacks recovered by the police contained 12 packets each. They weigh 46.134 kilograms and have a market value of Rs. 9,22,680.
"Each sack contained 12 packets. Its total weight was 46.134 kilograms, with a market value of Rs. 9,22,680. A case under Section 8/20 of the NDPS Act has been registered against Pankaj Singh, and the case has been taken up for investigation..."
According to the information received, the contraband was obtained from Anil Bagri and Suhelendra Singh Rajawat. A case has been registered against them under the relevant sections.
"He stated that the contraband was obtained from Anil Bagri, son of Jai Pratap Bagri and Suhelendra Singh Rajawat. A case has also been investigated against them under Sections 8, 20, and 29 of the NDPS Act," ASP Kurve stated.
Further details are awaited in this case. (ANI)