The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday announced the successful execution of two major drug raids in Gujarat and Maharashtra, resulting in the seizure of narcotics worth more than Rs 800 crore. During the operations, the ATS arrested four individuals believed to be involved in the production and distribution of illegal drugs.
The raids, conducted on August 5 and 6, targeted two key locations: a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Thane, Maharashtra, and a pharmaceutical factory in the Dahej industrial area of Bharuch district, Gujarat. Both operations were carried out following precise intelligence inputs, with the ATS working closely with local authorities to execute the raids.
In the first raid, ATS teams stormed an apartment in Bhiwandi town, Thane, where they arrested two brothers—Mohammad Yunus Shaikh (41) and Mohammad Adil Shaikh (34). The duo was found with nearly 800 kilograms of liquid mephedrone, commonly known as MD, with an international market value of Rs 800 crore. Officials revealed that the Shaikh brothers had rented the apartment around eight months ago to produce mephedrone using various chemicals. While their initial batch failed, the second batch was almost ready for conversion into powder when the raid took place.
The operation followed an earlier bust on July 18 in Surat, where a mephedrone manufacturing unit was uncovered, and drugs worth Rs 51.4 crore were seized. During the investigation, the arrested individuals revealed the involvement of the Shaikh brothers in a larger drug cartel, which ultimately led to the Bhiwandi raid.
In a separate operation, the ATS raided a pharmaceutical unit in the Dahej GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation) and arrested two individuals—Pankaj Rajput, the chief chemist of the factory, and Nikhil Kapuria, the owner of a chemical trading firm. They were found producing liquid tramadol, an opioid painkiller classified as a psychotropic substance under the NDPS Act of 2018. The street value of the tramadol seized was estimated at Rs 31 crore.
Investigations revealed that Kapuria had persuaded Rajput to manufacture tramadol, sourcing raw materials from an Ahmedabad-based company owned by Harshad Kukadiya. After the production of the liquid Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), it was sent to Kukadiya’s facility in Gandhinagar for tablet production, which was subsequently distributed illegally.
Efforts are currently underway to apprehend additional individuals linked to this drug racket. This operation follows a significant drug bust by the Customs Department on July 29, when authorities seized 6.8 million tramadol tablets worth Rs 110 crore at Mundra port in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
The Gujarat ATS continues to focus on dismantling drug cartels and preventing the illegal production and distribution of harmful narcotics in the region.