How an SUV carrying 27kg of mephedrone exposed a clandestine drug factory
Indian authorities uncovered a clandestine drug manufacturing network after a routine traffic stop led to the seizure of 27kg of mephedrone. The investigation revealed a sophisticated supply chain involving laboratory equipment purchased in Hyderabad and production facilities in rural Maharashtra.
Why it matters
This case highlights the challenges of tracking the diversion of legitimate industrial chemical equipment for illegal synthetic drug production.
How an SUV carrying 27kg of mephedrone exposed a clandestine drug factory left Inside the poultry farm at Maregaon village in Maharashtra’s Gondia district on October 17, the officials found chemical-processing apparatus and remnants of chemicals at the premises. Photo: Special Arrangement https://th-i.thgim.com/public/news/national/telangana/rlkaru/article71602854.ece/alternates/FREE_1200/WhatsApp%20Image%202026-10-19%20at%2018.24.07.jpeg A 27.2 kg mephedrone seizure led EAGLE Force to a clandestine laboratory in Maharashtra, exposing a network of chemical suppliers, equipment dealers and suspected drug manufacturers with links to Hyderabad HYDERABAD A poultry farm in Maharashtra, laboratory equipment purchased in Hyderabad, cash payments exchanged near JNTU in Kukatpally and conversations conducted through encrypted messaging applications were among the clues that helped Telangana’s EAGLE Force uncover an interstate synthetic drug manufacturing network. The investigation, which began with the seizure of 27.2 kg of mephedrone in August, led to the discovery of a suspected clandestine drug manufacturing facility at Maregaon village in Maharashtra’s Gondia district on October 17.
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