Ahmedabad, March 18 (NationPress) The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has dismantled an illegal mephedrone production facility in the Ambedkar Nagar region of Uttar Pradesh. This operation was triggered by an investigation initiated after a seizure in Ahmedabad, as reported by officials on Wednesday.

The inquiry began on March 1, when ATS agents confiscated 4.6 grams of an illicit narcotic from Shafat Ahmed, also known as Chand Mohammad Farooqi, in the Danilimda area of Ahmedabad.

Following this initial seizure, authorities arrested Sohail alias Bhura Mirza (25) and Farhan alias Bhura Pathan (38), both from Ahmedabad, who were found to be supplying the substance to Shafat.

A police case was lodged at the ATS station under Sections 8(c), 22(b), and 29 of the NDPS Act.

During the investigation, the ATS utilized both top-down and bottom-up strategies.

Interrogations revealed that Sohail Mirza had acquired approximately 300 grams of mephedrone from two individuals known as Pankaj and Kapil.

Using this intelligence, ATS teams gathered both technical and human insights, uncovering that these two were engaged in the illicit production of mephedrone in Ambedkar Nagar.

For 12 days, an advanced ATS unit monitored multiple suspected locations.

Suspicious activities were detected at a tin shed in Ramnagar Karri village, prompting a raid conducted with the cooperation of the Uttar Pradesh Police.

Investigators discovered that this hidden operation had been active for nearly six months.

Two suspects, Kapildev Sharma (31) and Ramshankar alias Pankaj Parshuram (30), both from Beni Gaddopur village in Uttar Pradesh, were arrested at the scene.

Officials noted that both individuals had completed only a school education.

A large cache of illegal substances and precursor materials was seized during the operation, comprising six kilograms of ready-made mephedrone, 50 kilograms of liquid mephedrone, 88 kilograms of 2-bromo-4-methylpropiophenone (recently classified as a controlled substance), and around 200 kilograms of other raw materials and chemicals.

Sunil Joshi, the Deputy Inspector General of ATS, stated, “The Government of India and the Government of Gujarat maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics. Under this policy, all individuals involved in such activities are apprehended by the ATS team. A man from Ahmedabad, Shafat, was initially found with drugs, leading us to uncover a larger network.”

“We currently have custody of the two main suspects and will investigate their modus operandi and supply chain,” he added.

All suspects are in custody, and legal proceedings are in progress.