Meth lab linked to Mexican cartel busted; Tihar warden, 4 others held

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in collaboration with the Delhi Police special cell, busted a clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing laboratory in the National Capital Region (NCR), an official said on Tuesday.

Five persons, including a Tihar Jail warden, were arrested in connection with it.

The operation led to the seizure of 95-kg methamphetamine and various chemicals essential to the production process.

The raid was conducted on October 25 which targeted a factory in the Kasana Industrial Area in Gautam Budh Nagar, following a tip off about a synthetic drug lab linked to the Mexican cartel, Cartel De Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).

Gyaneshwar Singh, Deputy Director General (DDG) of NCB said, “During the operation, it was discovered that substantial quantities of chemicals such as acetone, sodium hydroxide and methylene chloride, along with imported machinery used in manufacturing methamphetamine, was recovered from the factory.”

A businessman from Delhi and a Tihar Jail warden allegedly coordinated efforts to establish the lab. Both suspects were found in the factory at the time of the raid, officials said.

“The businessman had previously been arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in a drug-related case. He is believed to have met the jail warden during his time in custody, forming a partnership that later led to set up of the lab,” they said.

“A chemist from Mumbai was brought in to supervise the manufacturing process, while a member of the CJNG, residing in Delhi, was responsible for testing the product’s quality,” the DDG said.

All four were produced before a magistrate on October 27 and sent to three-day police custody. In a follow-up action, an additional member of the syndicate was arrested from Rajouri Garden and is expected to face court proceedings.

Singh underscored that the bust was the fifth major NCB operation this year targeting methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs, which have been growing in popularity among drug cartels due to their low production costs.

“Previous busts took place in Gandhinagar and Amreli in Gujarat, Jodhpur and Sirohi in Rajasthan and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier this month, a joint operation with Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad in Bhopal led to the seizure of 907 kg of mephedrone, along with over 7,000 kg of chemical precursors,” Singh added.

The official said cartels view industrial areas as a shield, as local police are less likely to notice suspicious activity due to the high volume of materials and machinery regularly transported there.