Hyderabad drugs raid: DRI grills PhD holder for 'links' with Mumbai underworld

HYDERABAD:  The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which had recently arrested a PhD holder for manufacturing psychotropic substances and raided his lab here, is probing if he has links with the Mumbai underworld. The accused had been manufacturing Mephedrone and supplying it to clients in Mumbai. The receiver, who was arrested along with him on December 11, belongs to country’s financial capital.

The DRI officials had intercepted the duo and seized 3.156 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs 63.12 lakh when the substance was changing hands. That's when the officials found that the receiver had been working for Mumbai-based networks. They also learnt that a majority of the manufacturer’s clients were in Mumbai. 

The officials said they will probe the case from all angles, including the connection with underworld networks. The manufacturer, who had been illegally running the private lab for around a year, had manufactured 100 kg of Mephedrone which is worth Rs 20 crore within the country and Rs 100 crore abroad.

The officials are trying to find out if the accused, an employee of a pharmaceutical firm and a PhD holder in chemistry, had supplied the substance in Hyderabad or any other city in the country. 

DRI officials seize Rs 12.40 lakh in cash

On December 11, the DRI officials seized Rs 12.40 lakh in cash and 112 g of Mephedrone samples of varying purities from the manufacturer’s house. In addition to these, 219.5 kg of raw material, used to make Mephedrone, was seized. The raw material is enough to make 20 kg of the psychotropic substance