Telangana police seize Mephedrone worth Rs 50 lakh, arrest two

The arrests were made near Sri Sai HMDA Weigh Bridge on Bata Singaram Road in Abdullapurmet.

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Narcotics Police along with the EAGLE Force Telangana, Abdullapurmet Police and the Clues Team of the LB Nagar Zone arrested two persons and seized 750 grams of Mephedrone drug valued at around Rs 50 lakh.

The accused were identified as Keesari Matsyagiri, 38, a resident of Suryapet district, and Nimmala Naresh, 38, from Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.

The arrests were made near Sri Sai HMDA Weigh Bridge on Bata Singaram Road in Abdullapurmet.

Police uncover alleged drug manufacturing network

According to police, Matsyagiri is linked to a gang involved in the illegal manufacture of Mephedrone and the controlled substance Ephedrine.

He learned the process of manufacturing Mephedrone while working as a chemist at a chemical unit in Abdullapurmet between 2015 and 2016.

As per police, he later became associated with other individuals allegedly involved in setting up illegal drug manufacturing units in different parts of the country.

Previous cases against accused

Matsyagiri had been arrested in earlier narcotics cases including a major case in which a laboratory in the Hyderabad region was raided and a large quantity of Mephedrone was seized.

A detention order under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act was also issued against him in the past.

After his release, police alleged that he once again became involved in illegal drug activities.

Drug unit allegedly operated from mango farm

The accused allegedly set up a drug manufacturing unit at a mango farm using chemicals and equipment procured from various sources.

Police said the operation produced around two kilograms of crude Mephedrone which was later processed to obtain 750 grams of the final product.

The accused were allegedly transporting the drug for sale when they were intercepted and arrested.

During the operation, police seized 750 grams of Mephedrone worth around Rs 50 lakh, a Hyundai i20 car and three mobile phones.

The total value of the seized property is estimated at around Rs 1 crore.

Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).