India News | Telangana's EAGLE Force Busts Inter-State Synthetic Drug Network, Uncovers Clandestine Lab in Maharashtra
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Telangana's EAGLE Force has exposed an alleged inter-State network involved in the illegal manufacture and supply of synthetic drugs, uncovering a clandestine manufacturing facility at Maregaon village in Maharashtra's Gondia district and identifying 11 accused as arrested or in custody and 13 others as absconding.
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 20 (ANI): Telangana's EAGLE Force has exposed an alleged inter-State network involved in the illegal manufacture and supply of synthetic drugs, uncovering a clandestine manufacturing facility at Maregaon village in Maharashtra's Gondia district and identifying 11 accused as arrested or in custody and 13 others as absconding.
According to an official release, the investigation has uncovered alleged links among chemical suppliers, laboratory operators, equipment facilitators and drug distribution networks operating across several locations in Telangana, Maharashtra and other states.
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The case came to light on August 8, 2026, when Bibi Nagar Police intercepted a white SUV travelling from Kondamadugu towards Nagpur. During the operation, police seized 27.2 kg of mephedrone and 56.98 kg of acetone and apprehended three persons identified as Chetan Madhukar Meshram, Mujammel Hoque and Akash Ashok Gawande.
A case was registered at Bibi Nagar Police Station under Sections 8(c) read with 21(c), 25 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The accused were remanded to judicial custody, and the case was subsequently transferred to EAGLE Force for further investigation in view of its inter-State ramifications.
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According to an official statement, investigations revealed links to manufacturing facilities at Vetukuri Labs in Kondamadugu, Telangana, and SM Labs in Moula Ali, Hyderabad, along with a suspected clandestine manufacturing unit in Maharashtra.
Investigators examined the alleged procurement, transportation and diversion of precursor chemicals, including propionyl chloride, as well as the roles of individuals suspected of facilitating laboratory operations and supplying specialised equipment. The investigation is also examining the alleged manufacture of mephedrone, alprazolam and ephedrine and the movement of chemicals across different locations.
A major breakthrough was achieved on October 17, when an EAGLE Force team identified a suspected clandestine drug manufacturing facility at a poultry farm in Survey No. 92/2, Maregaon village, Tiroda taluk, Gondia district, Maharashtra.
Chemical-processing apparatus and remnants of chemicals were reportedly found at the premises. Tiroda Police were informed, and Maharashtra Police registered a separate case.
On the same day, EAGLE Force apprehended Jairaj Krishna Shetty, the alleged owner of JSV Globals in Vasai, Maharashtra. Investigators suspect that he supplied propionyl chloride, a precursor chemical, to Chetan Madhukar Meshram and his associates for use in the alleged illegal manufacturing network. Shetty was brought to Telangana, where his arrest was formally effected.
According to officials, the case material also lists Penumatsa Rakesh Varma, described as the owner of Vetukuri Labs, among the accused in the wider investigation. According to the supplied records, he was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Indore, on July 23, 2026, in a separate proceeding and lodged in Chhindwara Jail.
The supplied case material lists the following 11 persons as arrested or in custody in connection with the wider investigation: Saddam Hussain, Jairaj Krishna Shetty, Penumatsa Rakesh Varma, Chetan Madhukar Meshram alias Akash Satyanarayan Shahu, Mujammel Hoque, Akash Ashok Gawande, Upadrasthra Ramana Murthy, Kasani Srinivas, Chaganti Veera Venkata Lakshmi Kumar, Gopal Sirpat Patelia and Lal Singh.
As per a release, the material also identifies 13 persons as absconding and yet to be apprehended. They are Ayub Ali, Chandra Pradeep Thakur, Yeatukuri Ramaraju, Priya Chetan Meshram alias Priya Bhanudasji Kadu, Nishtha Hiralal Gharde alias Nishitha Akash Shahu, Ekramul Hussain, Firdus Ahmed, Moinul Haque, Mafidul Islam, Kishan Singh alias Darbar Singh, Tufan Singh, Peddireddy Ramu and Fadh Fayaz Shaikh.
The investigation is continuing, with a focus on apprehending the remaining accused, establishing the specific role of each individual and tracing the wider chemical, equipment, logistical and financial supply chains allegedly supporting the network.
EAGLE Force, Telangana, said it remained committed to taking stringent action against those involved in narcotics manufacturing and trafficking in accordance with the law. The operation, it said, reinforced the State's determination to advance the vision of a Drug-Free Telangana through sustained enforcement, inter-agency coordination and focused investigation, a release added. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)