How a 320-kg chemical consignment seized in Rajasthan exposed interstate Mephedrone racket

Police said that the occupants of the vehicle were identified as Deepak, Jitendra Singh and Shelender Vilala, all residents of the Agar Malwa district in Madhya Pradesh. On searching the pickup vehicle, the police recovered six plastic drums containing 320.72 kg of 2-bromo-4-methyl propiophenone, a chemical commonly used to make Mephedrone (MD)

During preliminary interrogation, the accused revealed that the chemical had been transported from Maharashtra to Kota and later taken in a hired pickup vehicle to Agar in Madhya Pradesh. They stated that the consignment was delivered to Jaynarayan alias Mamu, who allegedly used the chemical along with his associates to manufacture MD and other similar narcotic substances.

Based on this information and inputs about a drug manufacturing unit operating in Madhya Pradesh, the police immediately swung into action and coordinated with local authorities across the border. Jaynarayan and his associate Ramlal were subsequently detained in Agar where they had received the chemical consignment late at night.

Further questioning revealed that the chemical was allegedly to be supplied to a man named Raghunandan Patidar in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh. However, Raghunand had fled before the police could find him. Later, raids were conducted at his suspected locations, and the Machalpur police discovered a factory involved in the manufacture of MD at his residence. A large quantity of drug manufacturing equipment and chemicals were seized during the raid.

A case has been registered against the accused at Jhalarapatan police station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act for preparing to manufacture commercial quantities of narcotics. Police said the investigation is underway to trace the source of the seized chemical and to identify the entire network involved in the illegal drug trade.