Move over illicit drugs grown and harvested in distant lands. Drug peddlers in Bengaluru are now manufacturing them within the city in sophisticated labs.
On Thursday, the Central Crime Branch announced that it had busted a 'narco lab' run from a rented house at Chamundi Layout in Bettadasanapura village within Electronics City Phase-1. The breakthrough was made possible by the arrest of a Nigerian national, police said.
Intelligence agencies knew about the existence of the 'narco lab on the outskirts of the city' as early as four years ago but were unable to pinpoint its exact location.
The foreigners, along with local accomplices, used their knowledge of chemistry to dish out synthetic drugs like MDMA or ecstasy tablets. Praising the CCB's crackdown, an elated Bengaluru police chief Kamal Pant exclaimed: “You cook, We book!” He announced a cash award of Rs 75,000 for the team led by Joint Commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil.
“The lab was used to manufacture MDMA crystals, which were supplied within the city through a network of sub-peddlers and also exported by being concealed in branded shoes,” Pant said.
Patil said: “During the raid, we seized chemicals like acetone, hypophosphorous acid, iodine resublimed 99%, plain acid, sodium hydroxide and laboratory apparatus, including boiling and crystallisation plants. Our officials have also recovered four kilograms of MDMA crystals worth Rs 2 crore.”
A preliminary investigation found that the arrested Nigerian national and his accomplices, currently at large, had researched online about techniques to manufacture MDMA crystals. They then purchased the required chemicals online as well as from chemical traders in the city.
“The crystals were concealed in the soles of shoes and exported to New Zealand,” said Basavaraj S Angadi, DCP (Crime), CCB.
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(Published 16 September 2021, 20:30 IST)
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