2 MD drug manufacturing units busted in Barmer and Jodhpur; 6 arrested after learning production process from YouTube

JAISALMER: In a major crackdown on illegal narcotics manufacturing, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has busted two clandestine MD drug manufacturing units operating in Barmer and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan. Six accused have been arrested, and large quantities of chemicals, equipment, and a vehicle have been seized.

According to ANTF officials, the accused learned the process of manufacturing MD drugs by watching videos on YouTube and were preparing to start large-scale production for illegal distribution.

Factory Unearthed in Barmer

The first operation was conducted on Monday night in Dhanau police station limits of Barmer district, where ANTF raided a residential property in Bhunia village and uncovered an illegal MD drug manufacturing setup.

During the raid, the team seized a drum containing the banned chemical 2-Bromo-4-Methylpropiophenone, weighing approximately 42.660 kilograms including the drum, along with a Kia car allegedly used in the operation.

The accused were apprehended before the factory could become fully operational.

Jodhpur Factory Exposed During Interrogation

ANTF inspector general Vikas Kumar said that during interrogation, one of the arrested accused revealed details of another MD drug manufacturing unit operating in Jodhpur district.

Acting on the information, police raided a location in Ramdawas Kalla village under Kaparda police station limits of Jodhpur Rural district, where they discovered chemicals, equipment and materials being used in the production process.

Authorities seized four glass bottles containing Dichloromethane AR (2.5 litres each), one bottle of Emplura Acetone (2.5 litres), one bottle containing Methylamine Solution (500 ml), a tank containing a mixed chemical solution, a plastic container filled with liquid substances, and various manufacturing instruments.

Network Linked to Madhya Pradesh

IG Vikas Kumar stated that ANTF had been receiving intelligence inputs for several days regarding illegal narcotics manufacturing units operating in the Marwar region.

Investigations revealed that several traffickers from Madhya Pradesh were involved in the operation and possessed technical knowledge of chemical processes used in synthetic drug production.

The accused allegedly planned to manufacture MD drugs in large quantities and earn huge profits through illegal trafficking.

Debt and Drug Addiction Behind the Conspiracy

The investigation found that the main accused, Narayan Ram, had previously worked in Bengaluru at a steel furniture shop, where he became friends with Prem Singh, Vijaypal Singh and Sumer Singh from Madhya Pradesh. The group allegedly developed a drug addiction over time.

After returning to Rajasthan and getting married, Narayan Ram reportedly fell into debt and even sold his wife's jewellery to finance his addiction.

AndAnother accused, Ashok Kumar, also struggled with addiction and financial losses after unsuccessfully investing money in the stock market. Facing mounting debts, the two allegedly decided to manufacture MD drugs themselves.

Learning Drug Manufacturing Through YouTube

During questioning, the accused reportedly admitted that they had learned the method of manufacturing MD drugs through YouTube videos.

Narayan Ram coordinated the operation, while Ashok arranged raw materials. Prem Singh and Vijaypal Singh were considered experts in the manufacturing process, Hemaram sourced chemical components, and Sumer Singh was designated as the factory manager.

However, the group allegedly faced repeated failures during trial production attempts. According to investigators, the batches they produced were unsuccessful because of poor-quality bromine-based chemicals. They were waiting to return the defective chemical consignment when ANTF conducted the raid.

Six Arrested

The arrested accused have been identified as:

Narayan Ram, son of Surja Ram, resident of Ramdawas, Pipar, Jodhpur Rural.

Ashok Kumar, son of Hanuman Ram, resident of Keriya, Chitalwana, Jalore.

Sumer Singh, son of Bhagwan Singh, resident of Barkheda Jaisingh, Pipliya Mandi, Madhya Pradesh.

Prem Singh, son of Funda Singh, resident of Jamalpura, YD Nagar Police Station area, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh.

Vijaypal Singh, son of Nagu Singh, resident of Kumhari, Ringnod Police Station area, Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.

Hemaram, son of Hamir Ram, resident of Chhachhi Beri, Dhanau, Barmer.

Further investigation is underway to identify additional links in the interstate narcotics network and determine whether more individuals were involved in financing or facilitating the illegal drug manufacturing operations.