MD factory bust in Bhopal: DRI conducts raids in MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh; 7 arrested so far
The arrested accused were involved in the manufacture of MD, transportation of raw materials and sending funds through hawala route, officials said.
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During interrogation, the arrested accused confessed that the raw materials were supplied from Bhiwandi on the direction of Dola, based in Turkey. (Source: dri.nic.in)Two days after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Mumbai busted a mephedrone (MD) manufacturing unit in Bhopal, the agency on Monday carried out further raids at multiple locations in four states — Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
The case, as per the DRI, has links to an international drug network run by Salim Dola, who is linked to the Dawood Ibrahim gang. The agency has so far arrested seven accused in connection with the case.
The arrested accused were involved in the manufacture of MD, transportation of raw materials and sending funds through hawala route, officials said.
Two of the arrested, Prashant Thorat from Nashik and Viren Shah from Mumbai, were supplying raw materials and chemicals. Ashraf Rain, from Banda district in Uttar Pradesh was also involved in chemical supply while Azharuddin Idrisi transported chemical and raw materials from Bhiwandi to Bhopal, as per officials. Other two accused Abdul Faisal Qureshi and Razzak Khan from Bhopal were involved in manufacturing MD, while Anjali Rajput from Surat was handling funds through hawala, they said. Rajput was arrested on Monday while the other six were arrested on Sunday.
Officials of the Mumbai DRI on Sunday busted the illegal manufacturing facility at Jagdishpur (Islamnagar) village in Huzur-Tehsil of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and allegedly recovered 61.20 kilograms of mephedrone in liquid form, valued at Rs 92 crore in the illicit market. The agency also seized 541.53 kilograms of raw materials, including methylene dichloride, acetone, monomethylamine (MMA), hydrochloric acid (HCL), and 2-Bromo, along with a complete set of processing equipment, said DRI official.
The factory was set up at an isolated building covered from all sides. Abdul Faisal Qureshi and Razzak Khan were apprehended while they were engaged in the production process of MD, added a DRI official. Following their confession, the agency managed to arrest a key member of the drug cartel Ashraf Rain at Basti, from Uttar Pradesh, who was entrusted with overseeing the supply of raw materials from Bhiwandi near Mumbai to Bhopal.
Viren Shah and Thorat were apprehended at Mumbai, along with the person, Idrisi responsible for the transportation of chemicals and raw materials from Mumbai to Bhopal, added the official. The agency also learnt that funds were being transferred from Surat and Mumbai to Bhopal through hawala channels. Rajput, a close associate of the cartel, responsible for funds transfer was apprehended in Surat.
During interrogation, the arrested accused confessed that the raw materials were supplied from Bhiwandi on the direction of Dola, based in Turkey. He allegedly called a syndicate member in February, 2025, offering him a handsome amount to procure the chemicals for the manufacture of mephedrone.
Later chemical supplier Viren Shah was roped in and was offered a commission of around Rs 2,000 per kilogram above the market price. He has been allegedly supplying “2 Bromo 4 Methyl Propiophenone” every month and had supplied 50 kilograms of the checcmical in March, 100 kilograms in April, 50 kilograms in May, 100 kilograms in June and100 kilograms in July, said an official.
Idrisi revealed that Ashraf Rain offered him monetary benefit for transporting of raw material from Bhiwandi and Thane to Bhopal. He was asked to collect the raw material at Anjur Phata, Bhiwandi, and load on to a mini truck to transport them to Bhopal, said DRI official.
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