NCB sleuths bust meth lab in Delhi-NCR area, Tihar Jail official among 4 arrested

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Oct 29 said in a major anti-narcotics operation its sleuths recently busted a clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing laboratory linked to members of the notorious Mexican drug cartel - Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) in Gautam Buddh Nagar on the outskirts of the national capital.

The NCB assisted by the Special Cell’s Counter Intelligence unit, recovered around 95 kg of the drug in solid and liquid forms, as well as chemicals like acetone and red phosphorous from the illegally operated laboratory in this industrial area.

The narcotics were being manufactured for sale in India and abroad, and members of CJNG were involved in this operation, according to NCB.

A Mumbai-based chemist and a Tihar jail warden are among the four people arrested so far and more arrests including that of a Mexican national suspected to be a member of the CJNG, who had been living in Delhi are likely to happen soon, NCB’s deputy director general (DDG) Gyaneshwar Singh was quoted as saying on Oct 29.

The Mexican national was roped in to test the purity of the drug, Singh said.

“Acting on information that a laboratory had been established in NCR of Delhi for production of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine for export to other countries as well as consumption in India, in which members of Mexican CJNG drug cartel are also involved, NCB conducted search operation in a factory in Kasana Industrial Area, Gautam Budh Nagar district on Oct 25 and found about 95 kg of Methamphetamine in solid and liquid forms,” he added.

According to Singh, chemicals like Acetone, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylene Chloride, Premium grade Ethanol, Toluene, Red phosphorous, Ethyl Acetate, and imported machinery for manufacturing were also found.

“The Delhi police’s special cell also participated in the operation as the drug network had footprints across several places in NCR of Delhi.” he said.

Without naming them, Singh said a West Delhi businessman and a Tihar jail warden were in the factory at the time of the raid. According to him, both were instrumental in establishing the illegal factory, procuring chemicals required for manufacturing methamphetamine from various sources, and importing the machinery.

“The businessman had previously been arrested by the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in an NDPS case and had been lodged in Tihar jail where he met the jail warden who became his accomplice,” Singh said.

According to Singh, they roped in a Mumbai-based chemist to manufacture drugs, and a member of the Mexican cartel living in Delhi used to test the quality of drugs.

Pertinently, on Oct 10, Delhi police seized 200 kilograms of cocaine valued at Rs 2,000 crore from a warehouse in west Delhi's Ramesh Nagar. Before this, the Delhi police busted an international drug syndicate and seized over 602 kg of cocaine valued at ₹ 6,500 crore in the international market, in the national capital's Mahipalpur.

Earlier on Oct 6, Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and NCB seized over ₹ 1,800 crore worth of the designer drug mephedrone (MD), and raw materials from a factory on the outskirts of Bhopal.

According to the website of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States, CJNG is one of the five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world. It is responsible for trafficking tons of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl-laced heroin into the United States.

The NCB is now probing the gang’s links, financial trail, and assets generated.

An official was quoted as saying the drug mafia had started setting up such clandestine labs to produce synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and mephedrone in industrial areas to skip the vigil of law enforcement agencies.