Over the past year, Telangana authorities have dismantled 11 covert drug manufacturing units posing as chemical factories, mostly located in Sangareddy district (in places like Jinnaram, Suraram, Gummadidala, Fasalwadi, and Madunur). These operations primarily churned out psychotropic substances such as alprazolam. Roughly 50 people were arrested this year alone, many of whom were repeat offenders. In total, 285 manufacturers have been taken into custody in recent years.
The illicit trade proved highly lucrative and cunning. Investigators found that some accused were using defunct factories to run drug labs, with one local politician leveraging influence to keep operations under the radar. Maharashtra police also arrested two individuals Srinivas Vijay and Tanaji Rao Patwari for producing mephedrone, intended for supply to companies making eye drops.
Cracking these units isn’t simple. Many intermediate chemicals are legally available, making it tough to pin down the illegal activity. Plus, these operations are fast often manufacturing, packing, and distributing in less than 48 hours. In some cases, perpetrators quickly washed down the premises to destroy any evidence once officials were closing in.
Notable arrests this year include Ajay Kumar and Syed Zaheer, caught with 100 grams of mephedrone, and Anji Reddy from Gummadidala, who was booked twice previously for alprazolam related offenses.
