How an SUV carrying 27kg of mephedrone exposed a clandestine drug factory

A poultry farm in Maharashtra, laboratory equipment purchased in Hyderabad, cash payments exchanged near JNTU in Kukatpally and conversations conducted through encrypted messaging applications were among the clues that helped Telangana’s EAGLE Force uncover an interstate synthetic drug manufacturing network.

The investigation, which began with the seizure of 27.2 kg of mephedrone in August, led to the discovery of a suspected clandestine drug manufacturing facility at Maregaon village in Maharashtra’s Gondia district on October 17. Police have identified 24 accused in the wider network, of whom 11 are listed as arrested or in custody, while 13 remain absconding.

According to a police complaint dated October 18, the trail of laboratory equipment purchases dates back to March 2024, when a man identifying himself as Krishna approached TVR Scientific Glass Works, a laboratory equipment supplier in Bahadurpally, Hyderabad. He sought a 200-litre reaction and distillation unit, initially quoted at ₹3.25 lakh. Following negotiations, the price was reduced to ₹2,92,500 plus GST.

An advance of ₹45,000 was paid in cash during a meeting near JNTU in Kukatpally in April 2024. The equipment was transported to Nagpur the following month, but installation was initially delayed because the buyer had not confirmed the location.

A week later, the supplier’s representatives returned to Nagpur and were taken to an agricultural field, where the equipment was installed. Further cash payments of ₹80,000, ₹84,000 and ₹50,000 were reportedly made on separate occasions. In July 2024, another order was placed for a 20-litre laboratory flask setup costing ₹84,500, which was dispatched to Nagpur through a cargo service.