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The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) has dismantled an illegal synthetic drug manufacturing factory in the Tajopur industrial area of Mau district in Uttar Pradesh. Operating under the cover of an industrial unit, the facility was producing mephedrone (MD). In a joint operation conducted on November 8, coinciding with Deepawali, officials seized 11.650 kilograms of mephedrone, substantial quantities of precursor and processing chemicals, and specialized laboratory machinery. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the operation, and the seized contraband is estimated to be worth crores of rupees.
The raid was initiated after the Madhya Pradesh unit of the CBN received intelligence regarding an active interstate synthetic drug network. Acting on this information, a joint team comprising personnel from both the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh units raided the premises in Tajopur. Upon inspection, investigators uncovered a complete laboratory setup and production infrastructure dedicated to manufacturing mephedrone. Following the seizure of the chemicals and equipment, authorities shut down the illicit facility.
Seizure of Narcotics and Precursor Chemicals
During the search, the joint team recovered 11.650 kilograms of mephedrone. The seized stock included finished contraband as well as substances at various stages of chemical processing. Mephedrone is a synthetic psychoactive stimulant commonly known on the illicit market as MD or Meow Meow.
Officials also confiscated 20.900 kilograms of 2-bromo-4-methylpropiophenone, which serves as the primary precursor chemical required to synthesize mephedrone. In addition, the team recovered 3.500 kilograms of acetic anhydride, a regulated chemical compound used in the illicit manufacture of heroin.
Further searches yielded approximately 119.860 kilograms and liters of auxiliary chemicals, solvents, and processing agents. These included dichloromethane, hydrochloric acid, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, and organic amines. The presence of these specific reagents confirmed that the facility was actively engaged in full-scale chemical synthesis and processing rather than merely serving as a storage site.
Industrial Equipment Used for Production
The raiding party found a comprehensive industrial setup inside the premises designed for continuous drug production. Authorities seized industrial grinders, mixers, steel tanks, heating units, and glass reaction and distillation apparatus. Temperature-measuring instruments and voltage balancers were also confiscated from the site.
These machines were utilized to process raw chemical compounds through multiple stages to produce the final synthetic drug. Given the scale of the machinery and chemical reserves, investigators are now working to determine how long the laboratory had been operational and its total production capacity. Officials are also examining how the accused managed to establish and run an illicit manufacturing unit within an industrial area without attracting the attention of neighboring businesses or local authorities.
Probe Into Supply Chain and Orai Link
The CBN has launched a detailed investigation into the financial transactions and supply chain supporting the factory. Investigators are tracing the sources from which the precursor chemicals were procured and identifying the states and cities where the finished mephedrone was slated to be distributed. Authorities are interrogating the two arrested suspects and scrutinizing financial records to identify other members of the syndicate involved in funding, production, and distribution.
As part of the broader probe, agencies are also examining potential links between the Mau facility and a similar mephedrone laboratory recently uncovered by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Orai, Uttar Pradesh. Given the similarities in the manufacturing setup and the substance produced, officials are investigating whether the two units were operated by the same interstate syndicate or functioned independently.
