Gujarat’s elite Anti-Terrorist Squad struck a decisive blow against synthetic drug production, raiding a clandestine mephedrone lab in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. This breakthrough followed a trail from a street-level bust in Ahmedabad, exposing deep-rooted criminal operations.
It all began with the March 1 apprehension of Shafaat Ahmad in Danilimda, where 4.6 grams of mephedrone were seized. Suppliers Sohail Mirza (25) and Farhan Pathan (38), Ahmedabad locals, were quickly rounded up under NDPS Act sections for supplying the contraband.
Deep dives into their statements pointed to UP-based Pankaj and Kapil as the source of 300 grams. ATS deployed advanced surveillance, monitoring multiple sites for nearly two weeks. A tip-off about Ramnagar Karri’s tin shed led to a joint operation with UP authorities, busting a six-month-old illicit factory.
Operators Kapildev Sharma and Ramshankar alias Pankaj, minimally educated villagers, faced arrest amid a massive seizure. Authorities confiscated 6 kg pure mephedrone, 50 kg in liquid form, 88 kg of newly regulated 2-Bromo-4′-methylpropiophenone, plus 200 kg of precursors.
ATS DIG Sunil Joshi hailed the zero-tolerance stance: “From a minor catch, we unraveled a major network. The kingpins are now under our watch, and we’re probing every link in their chain.” With all four in custody, this interdiction disrupts inter-state drug flows and signals intensified enforcement.