In a significant operation, Madhya Pradesh Police have arrested Harish Anjana, the third suspect involved in a massive drug trafficking case. The arrest comes after the police seized over Rs1,800 crore worth of mephedrone (MD), a powerful designer drug, and raw materials from a factory in Bhopal’s Industrial Estate on Saturday.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has also been involved in the operation, with the arrested suspect handed over to them for further interrogation. Harish Anjana, who was arrested in Mandsaur district, around 350 km from Bhopal, has a history of drug-related offences in Mandsaur and Gwalior. The Mandsaur Superintendent of Police (SP), Abhishek Anand, confirmed that Anjana was previously booked for drug supply and was under investigation in multiple cases.
In his brief interrogation, Anjana revealed the name of another suspect, Prem Patidar, who is believed to be involved in the drug syndicate. Authorities have assured that an arrest for Patidar is imminent. According to SP Anand, the drug trafficking network operates primarily through Vapi and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, as well as border areas of Rajasthan. Police teams are currently stationed in these regions to capture the remaining suspects.
The latest arrests came shortly after a joint raid conducted by the Gujarat ATS and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), where two other individuals, Amit Prakashchndra Chaturvedi and Sanyal Bane, were arrested. Authorities had been tipped off about the factory’s illegal activities, which were disguised as a legitimate manufacturing unit in Bhopal.
During the raid, it was uncovered that Sanyal Bane had a prior criminal record, having been arrested in 2017 for a similar drug offence and serving five years in prison. Police are continuing their investigation and expect further arrests in the coming days as they dismantle the broader network.
This raid highlights the growing concerns about illegal drug manufacturing and trafficking, with mephedrone emerging as a key substance of abuse. Authorities are determined to break up the syndicates that are operating across state lines, focusing on border areas to intercept the flow of drugs.
The operation is still ongoing, and police are actively investigating other leads. The seized mephedrone has been described as a significant blow to the operations of these criminal networks, marking a major step forward in tackling drug trafficking in the region.