Overview

• The August 16–17 action at Jagdishpur (Islamnagar), Bhopal, seized 61.20 kg of mephedrone in liquid form along with 541.53 kg of precursor chemicals and processing equipment worth about Rs 92 crore.
• Follow-up searches across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh led to seven arrests, and the DRI says this is its sixth clandestine mephedrone factory dismantled in the past year.
• Officials link the unit to Turkey-based Salim Dola, alleging he directed precursor procurement from Bhiwandi and routed funds from Surat and Mumbai through hawala channels.
• Investigators say chemical supplier Viren Shah provided ‘2‑Bromo‑4‑Methyl Propiophenone’ monthly—50 kg in March, 100 kg in April, 50 kg in May, 100 kg in June and 100 kg in July—using unbilled deliveries and forged paperwork.
• Those arrested include suppliers Viren Shah and Prashant Thorat, transporter Azharuddin Idrisi, coordinator Ashraf Rain, Bhopal-based manufacturers Abdul Faisal Qureshi and Razzak Khan, and hawala operative Anjali Rajput.