Mumbai, Dec 12: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted a drug cartel that was illegally manufacturing Ephedrine, a controlled substance. The drug, otherwise used to treat respiratory illnesses, is illegally used to manufacture party drugs.
According to NCB, it had raided the premises of one Ashai Drugs and Intermediates at Sinnar in Nashik on November 26 and seized 82.5 kg of Ephedrine. A rough estimate indicates that one kg of the substance costs around Rs 50,000 in India.
The substance is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, a psycho-stimulant that is in demand in party circuits. Ephedrine is also used in the manufacture of Ecstacy, popularly known as ‘Ice’. The NCB has booked Nashik-based chemist Dhananjay Jadhav besides arresting a Pune-based facilitator Kiran Barwekar and a Mumbai-based financier Ramesh Jain. Barwekar allegedly sourced the raw materials.
Jain was out on bail in a Mandrax smuggling case. “We will appeal against his bail,” said Yashodan Wanage, zonal director, NCB. The trio were produced before the Special Judge for NDPS cases at Nashik.
–Agencies