Rajasthan Police Cracks Down on Major Drug Network with Automated MD Factory Bust
In a significant blow to narcotics trafficking in the region, the Rajasthan Police's Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) conducted sweeping raids across multiple districts on Friday, uncovering a sophisticated automated drug manufacturing operation and seizing substances valued at several hundred crores of rupees.
Jalore: The Automated MD Factory
The operation's centerpiece was the discovery of a fully-automated MD (Mephedrone) drug processing unit in Jalore district. Police arrested two individuals connected to this facility. According to IG ANTF Vikas Kumar, approximately 400 liters of precursor chemicals were confiscated from the factory, with an estimated street value between Rs 12 to Rs 15 crore.
"This represents a technological escalation in illegal drug production," Kumar stated. "Typically, MD is processed using basic mechanical methods or old heaters with manual churning. Finding a completely automated machine indicates a more advanced and potentially higher-output operation."
The breakthrough came with assistance from a local scrap dealer who informed authorities about purchasing suspicious canisters from the suspects, leading ANTF teams directly to the clandestine factory.
Udaipur: Massive Opium Cultivation Uncovered
In a parallel raid in Udaipur, authorities made another staggering discovery. Teams seized approximately seven lakh opium plants from an illicit cultivation site. Kumar explained that this harvest could have yielded about 1,000 kilograms of processed opium and 188 quintals of poppy husk, with a combined estimated value of around Rs 100 crore.
The operation was initiated after ANTF received intelligence that individuals from Udaipur were coordinating with suppliers for an impending opium transaction, timed as the crop neared harvest post-February.
"While opium cultivation is traditionally concentrated in areas like Mandsaur, Neemuch, and Chittorgarh, we identified a significant Udaipur connection," Kumar detailed. "When suspects realized police were closing in, they began hastily cutting the crop to minimize losses."
Additional Raids Across Rajasthan
The coordinated crackdown extended to four other districts, resulting in further seizures and arrests:
- Jodhpur: ANTF confiscated 254 kilograms of illegal poppy husk and a Hyundai Venue car, with total assets valued at approximately Rs 39 lakh.
- Deedwana-Kuchaman: One person was arrested with 1.220 kilograms of ganja and 5.67 grams of smack (heroin), valued at Rs 1.75 lakh.
- Chittorgarh: Authorities seized 2 kilograms of opium worth Rs 12 lakh and arrested one individual.
- Barmer: Police recovered 99 grams of MD valued at Rs 3 lakh and apprehended one accused.
A Comprehensive Anti-Narcotics Operation
This multi-district operation demonstrates the Rajasthan Police's intensified focus on dismantling drug supply chains at both production and distribution levels. The discovery of an automated manufacturing facility particularly highlights evolving methods in illicit drug production, requiring corresponding advancements in law enforcement tactics and technology.
IG Vikas Kumar emphasized that these raids are part of ongoing efforts to combat narcotics trafficking in the state, with the ANTF continuing to monitor and act on intelligence regarding drug-related activities across Rajasthan.
