Fully-automated MD unit busted in Jalore; 5 held

Jaipur: The Rajasthan Police's Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) busted a fully-automated MD drug processing unit in Jalore and seized narcotic substances worth several crores in raids across Udaipur, Jalore, Jodhpur, Deedwana-Kuchaman, Chittorgarh and Barmer Friday.Police arrested two persons in Jalore in connection with the MD unit. IG ANTF Vikas Kumar said teams seized approximately 400 litre of chemicals from the factory, with an estimated value of Rs 12 to Rs 15 crore.
"The MD drug is usually processed mechanically or with old heaters and manual churning, but this time we found a fully automated machine," Kumar said. He added that the ANTF reached the factory with the help of a scrap dealer who admitted buying canisters from the two suspects. In Udaipur, Kumar said teams seized approximately seven lakh opium plants, from which about 1,000kg of opium and 188 quintals of poppy husk could have been produced, with an estimated value of around Rs 100 crore. He said the Anti-Narcotics Task Force recently received inputs that some persons from Udaipur were meeting suppliers for a future opium deal as the crop was nearing harvest after February. "Opium is usually grown around Mandsaur, Neemuch and Chittorgarh, but we found a Udaipur connection and raided the area," Kumar said, adding that suspects had begun cutting the crop when they realised police had got wind of the operation. In Jodhpur, ANTF seized 254kg of illegal poppy husk and confiscated a Venue car, with the total value estimated at Rs 39 lakh. In Deedwana-Kuchaman, one person was arrested with 1.220kg of ganja and 5.67 grams of smack valued at Rs 1.75 lakh. In Chittorgarh, teams seized 2kg of opium valued at Rs 12 lakh and arrested one person, while in Barmer, 99 grams of MD valued at Rs 3 lakh were seized and one accused was arrested.