Jaipur, Dec 19 (IANS) In a joint operation, the District Special Team (DST) and Sadar Police Station in Rajasthan’s Barmer raided a house in Kerli Adarsh Chawa village and busted an illegally operating MD (mephedrone) drug manufacturing unit.

During the operation, conducted in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Jodhpur, drugs, chemicals, equipment and vehicles worth approximately Rs 85 crore were seized.

Superintendent of Police Narendra Singh Meena said police received specific intelligence that a notorious smuggler, Motaram Jat, along with his associates, was running a drug manufacturing factory from a residential house owned by Bhairaram Jat. Acting on the tip-off, SP Meena personally reached the village and, along with a large police force, surrounded the premises.

During the search, police recovered 39 kg and 777 grams of ready MD powder and 99 kg and 931 grams of liquid chemical that was being dried on the rooftop. Officials said that had the liquid chemical been fully processed, its market value would have increased by another Rs 50 crore.

The house had been converted into a professional-grade drug laboratory. Police seized an iron furnace, deep freezer, vacuum pump, digital thermometer, 19 large glass containers, four churning machines, multiple 100-litre tanks and other processing equipment.

A Scorpio SUV and a Kia car, allegedly used for drug smuggling, were also seized from the spot.

SP Meena identified Motaram Jat as the mastermind behind the factory. Motaram is a wanted criminal with a Rs 15,000 reward declared by the Balotra and Sri Ganganagar police. He managed to flee the scene along with his associate Dinesh Giri and another accomplice.

Police have identified all three accused and constituted special teams to arrest them. Given the seriousness of the case and the high international market value of the seized narcotics, the NCB Jodhpur team has been roped in to assist in the investigation.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Section 111(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

SP Meena described the seizure as one of the biggest recoveries in the history of Barmer police and said investigations are underway to trace both backward and forward linkages in order to dismantle the entire drug network.

“The absconding accused will be arrested soon,” he said.

DST constable Ramswaroop played a crucial role in the success of the operation. The team included Additional SP Nitesh Arya, Circle Officer Ramesh Kumar, Probationary RPS Manju Chauhan, DST In-charge Adesh Kumar, Sadar SHO Kartar Singh, and Women Police Station Officer Devichand Dhaka, along with a large police force.

–IANS

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