A high-quality mephedrone production factory has been found by the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Surat to have been set up inside a shopping mall. Going by a completely harmless-sounding name of 'Dikriya Food and Pharma Analytical Laboratory', this production unit was functioning in a shopping mall named Polaris in the region of Parvat Patiya.
The investigation kicked off on New Year’s Day when police picked up 21-year-old Jill Thummar in Amroli with over 230 grams of MD drugs. During interrogation, Thummar dropped a bombshell, that is, the drugs were not smuggled in from another state, rather they were being cooked right there in the heart of Surat. When the SOG raided the lab, they found a professional setup equipped with vacuum ovens, stirrers, and high-end weighing scales. More importantly, they found the chemicals needed to synthesise "crystal" grade mephedrone, including methylamine and sulfuric acid. The operation was allegedly fronted by Brijesh Bhalodia, a senior lab technician who used his professional expertise to manufacture the narcotics. Two others, Khushal Ranpariya and Bharat Lathia, were also arrested for their roles in the supply chain.
The most startling revelation, however, is the international link. Detectives found that the entire operation was reportedly funded and directed by Janak Jadani who is based in London. According to the police, Jadani provided the financial backing and technical guidance from abroad, using the Surat lab as a hub to target the city's youth.
So far, authorities have seized over ₹2.92 lakh worth of equipment, raw chemicals, and finished drugs. With three suspects in custody, the police are now digging deeper into how long this "food lab" had been doubling as a drug kitchen and exactly how the London-based handler moved the money into Surat to keep the burners running.
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