In a major crackdown on illicit drug manufacturing and smuggling, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Ahmedabad, with vital support from Rajasthan Police and Maharashtra Police, has dismantled a significant mephedrone syndicateoperating across western India.
The operation kicked off on 6 August 2025 with the seizure of 4.5 kilograms of psychotropic substance near Pirojpur village on the Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar Highway. The contraband was traced to a syndicate based in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan. Follow-up raids in July led to the arrest of suppliers from Pratapgarh and the recovery of drug sale proceeds totalling ₹6 lakh.
Interrogations revealed the existence of clandestine labs producing mephedrone in Pratapgarh. The NCB identified Siddik Khan Mev, a resident of Hathuniya village, as the key figure behind the operation.
A joint raid on 22 July uncovered a hidden laboratory inside a buffalo barn in Barmer, Rajasthan, where large quantities of precursor chemicals such as chloroform, ammonium chloride, toluene, and bromine were seized. The lab was equipped for illicit mephedrone manufacture.
Further investigations led to a supplier in Raigad, Maharashtra, who provided chemicals and lab instruments. On 23 July, Raigad Police seized 34 kg powdered ketamine, 12 litres of liquid ketamine, and related equipment, arresting four persons linked to the network.
The operation culminated on 6 August with the arrest of Siddik Khan Mev and associates Birju Shukla and Ali Mohamad. The trio had operated a covert lab in an agricultural field at Hathuniya. To evade detection, they dismantled the lab and buried equipment and chemicals in three separate pits, about 8 to 10 feet deep.
Acting on precise intelligence, the NCB and state police deployed JCB machinery to excavate the concealed materials, successfully recovering the hidden evidence.
This interstate collaboration underscores the determination of the NCB and allied forces to dismantle drug syndicates operating across state borders. The operation deals a significant blow to mephedrone manufacturing and distribution in western India.
The NCB continues to track syndicate networks, providing critical support to state agencies under the NDPS Act, 1985 in the ongoing fight against narcotics.
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NCB officers excavating buried drugs and lab equipment with machinery

Gujarat NCB, Rajasthan & Maharashtra police jointly crack huge drug ring

NCB Busts Major Mephedrone Lab Syndicate

Gujarat NCB, Rajasthan & Maharashtra police jointly crack huge drug ring

August 9, 2025 | 14:53 IST