Drug cartel cooks Rs 50 cr ketamine in buffalo barn: Secret lab in Rajasthan busted; leads cops to Maharashtra factory

NEW DELHI: A joint operation by Rajasthan and Maharashtra police, and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has led to the busting of a drug cartel, which was using a buffalo barn in Barmer, Rajasthan, as cover to manufacture Mephedrone and Ketamine, with drugs and equipment worth Rs 50 crore being seized from the site and from Raigad in Maharashtra.The cartel was into manufacturing synthetic drugs at clandestine labs in remote areas. As much as 34 kg of Ketamine powder and 12 litres of liquid drugs were seized during the operation, officials said.The operation began with the detection of a clandestine facility at village Dholakia in Barmer district, where police found precursor chemicals and lab equipment used to manufacture the synthetic drug Mephedrone.

"The facility was cleverly concealed inside a buffalo barn in a secluded area of the village. Two members of the drug syndicate were detained by the police. NCB Jodhpur collaborated with the district police in the investigation," a senior officer said.During interrogation, the accused revealed the involvement of other members of the syndicate, including one who was a resident of Raigad district in Maharashtra and had supplied the chemicals and lab equipment to set up the facility.

A search of the premises by NCB Mumbai and Raigad police led to the recovery of approximately 34 kg of Ketamine in powder form and 12 litres of Ketamine in liquid form, along with precursor chemicals and lab equipment.The investigations have revealed the involvement of a mastermind who has been involved in drug trafficking cases earlier. The successful operation was made possible due to real-time sharing of information and coordinated efforts by Barmer police, Raigad police, and NCB zones at Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai.