Drugs worth Rs10,000 cr seized from pharmaceutical factory


In one of the biggest drug hauls in Rajasthan, the narcotics department, BSF and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have seized huge quantities of a banned drug estimated to be worth over Rs10,000 crore from a pharmaceutical factory in Udaipur and its two godowns situated at Udaipur and Rajsamand on Friday. The officials have seized about 25 tonnes of an illegal 'white powder', reported to be Ephedrine, the sale of which is banned in India. The joint operation conducted by the three departments began with the seizure of the factory and godowns last week while the assessment and seizure continued even on Tuesday. It may take a day or two for the final assessment, following which the seized drugs may be moved to Mumbai in containers, sources said.

The factory belongs to Ravi Dudhani, who is the nephew of Subash Dudhani, an international drug dealer who operated from Dubai. The drug manufactured in the Udaipur factory was supplied in the international market through a large network of agents involved in the racket. The BSF has arrested Subash Dudhani from Mumbai airport on Tuesday morning and brought him to Udaipur where he has been detained in the BSF cantonment here at Kavita village, 10 kilometres from Udaipur city. Subhash is the kingpin of an extensive drug network which diverted precursor chemicals for medicinal purposes to illegal factories manufacturing synthetic drugs and supplying them to the international market.

The drug manufacturing unit is situated in the RICCO industrial area at Kaladwas while one of its godown is in Gudli industrial area. The officials also raided another godown of the company at Dhoinda, a nondescript village in Rajsamand district. Large stocks of the banned drug have been recovered in the past four days. Five to six members of the team have reportedly fallen sick due to their contact with the drug. The local police have been completely excluded from the operations while the BSF has taken charge of the security outside the factory and its godowns. Officials have arrested several people including Ravi Dudhani, the pharma company owner.

On Tuesday, Ravi's family members including his wife and children met the authorities at the factory premises and sought permission to meet him but were denied. Ravi and Subash are in BSF custody at the cantonment in Kavita. The family members told the media that they didn't have the slightest idea about Ravi's drug dealings. They claimed that they were only aware that he ran a pharma company whose products were marketed by Subhash from Dubai. Subash lived in Dubai and had come to Mumbai a day before Diwali. He owns a flat in Worli, Mumbai.

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