Clandestine mephedrone lab busted in Sirohi district

NEW DELHI: In one of the biggest crackdowns in tune with the Union govt’s zero-tolerance approach to drug trafficking, the NCB and Rajasthan Police dismantled a clandestine synthetic drug manufacturing unit operating from a remote village in Sirohi district, Rajasthan.

The joint operation led to the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of chemicals - enough to manufacture nearly 100 kg of mephedrone valued at approximately Rs 40 crore on the street. Five people have been arrested, among them the alleged mastermind.

The operation marks a major success in the ongoing pan-India campaign against drug networks. Mephedrone has become an emerging menace in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, where its consumption as a psychotropic substance is on the rise.

The breakthrough came after sustained coordination between NCB and state police through district-level NCORD meetings, which helped sensitize the local police units to red flags associated with hidden drug labs. Local police officers were trained to spot suspicious indicators such as blacked-out windows, excessive ducting, storage of chemicals in unusual locations, and the conversion of residential structures into makeshift laboratories.