New Delhi, Dec 9 (NationPress) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has effectively dismantled a hidden Mephedrone production site in Wardha, Maharashtra, as part of a focused operation known as “Operation Hinterland Brew,” officials reported on Tuesday.

The operation, which took place from December 7 to 8, resulted in the confiscation of 128 kg of Mephedrone, valued at around Rs. 192 crore, along with 245 kg of precursor chemicals, raw materials, and an entire processing setup.

Following specific intelligence, DRI officers conducted covert surveillance and executed a search in a secluded, shrub-laden region of Karanja (Ghadge), approximately 60 km from Wardha.

During this operation, officers discovered a fully operational synthetic drug processing facility, complete with makeshift reactors, vessels, and other apparatus necessary for the illegal production of Mephedrone.

The seized items included both the finished product and essential precursor chemicals required for its synthesis.

According to a statement from the DRI, “The illicit factory had been purposefully established and managed by local individuals to blend into the rural scenery and avoid detection. The manufacturing unit itself was a temporary, modular, unremarkable structure hidden deep within the shrubbery.”

Three individuals managing the facility were captured, including the mastermind, who served as both the financier and chemist, along with two accomplices.

“All three were found to be actively engaged in the manufacturing and distribution network of Mephedrone and have been detained under pertinent sections of the NDPS Act, 1985,” the report stated.

With this operation, the DRI has dismantled five secret drug production facilities this year alone through intelligence-led actions.

These ongoing efforts highlight the DRI’s constant vigilance, operational proficiency, and unwavering dedication to the Government’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, aimed at safeguarding citizens from the threats posed by narcotic and psychotropic substances.

In a notable prior operation, DRI exposed a significant gold smuggling and melting ring in Mumbai under “Operation Bullion Blaze.”

This operation revealed an organized network involved in smuggling gold into India, melting it in hidden furnaces, and distributing the refined bullion in the gray market.

Officers confiscated 6.35 kg of gold on-site and detained those managing the operations.

Subsequent searches at two shops linked to the mastermind—used for receiving smuggled gold and selling melted bars to local buyers—resulted in the recovery of an additional 5.53 kg of gold bars.

In total, 11.88 kg of 24-carat gold, valued at Rs 15.05 crore, and 8.72 kg of silver worth Rs 13.17 lakh were seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962.