Ahmedabad: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Ahmedabad, in collaboration with the Rajasthan and Maharashtra Police, dismantled a drug manufacturing and smuggling syndicate and nabbed one person from Pratapgarh in Rajasthan. The agency uncovered clandestine labs in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, and Raigad, Maharashtra, and arrested key figures involved in the production and distribution of mephedrone, a banned psychotropic substance.According to an NCB official, the probe began with the seizure of a 4.5kg consignment, which was traced back to Pratapgarh. This prompted a series of coordinated operations that led to the arrest of several suppliers and the recovery of Rs 6 lakh in drug sale proceeds. Interrogations revealed the existence of illicit labs in Pratapgarh, with one Siddik Khan Mev identified as a primary suspect.A joint operation on July 22, uncovered a lab hidden in a buffalo barn in Barmer, Rajasthan, where precursor chemicals and equipment were seized. Further investigations pointed to a suspect in Raigad, Maharashtra, who supplied the necessary chemicals and equipment. A subsequent raid in Raigad on July 23, resulted in the seizure of 34kg of ketamine in powdered form, 12 litres in liquid form, and other chemicals, leading to the arrest of four persons.On Aug 6, Mev was apprehended, revealing his operation of a clandestine lab in Hathuniya, Pratapgarh, with associates Birju Shukla and Ali Mohamad, the NCB said in a statement. The accused tried to conceal evidence by burying lab equipment and chemicals in farm pits, but officials successfully excavated these materials.
