Telangana’s specialized EAGLE Force uncovered an interstate clandestine synthetic drug manufacturing laboratory operating inside a poultry farm in Maharashtra following the highway interception of an SUV transporting 27.2 kilograms of mephedrone.

The Highway Interception That Triggered the Operation

The high-stakes narcotics bust began unfolding on August 8 when Bibi Nagar police stopped a Toyota Fortuner headed toward Nagpur. Inside the vehicle, officers discovered 27.2 kilograms of processed mephedrone alongside 56.98 kilograms of acetone, immediately arresting occupants Chetan Madhukar Meshram, Mujammel Hoque, and Akash Ashok Gawande. Recognizing the hallmarks of an organized distribution corridor, authorities transferred the case to the EAGLE Force, initiating an intensive multi-state investigation into illegal synthetic drug production.

By tracing movement patterns, equipment consignments, and encrypted digital interactions, enforcement officials tracked the illicit manufacturing hub directly to Maregaon village in Maharashtra’s Gondia district. On October 17, investigators breached the rural poultry farm, discovering industrial chemical-processing apparatus alongside leftover chemical residues. Maharashtra Police subsequently registered a separate criminal case to address the illicit operations hosted on the agricultural property.

The Telangana Connection and Supply Trail

For Telangana, the investigation revealed an alarming operational foothold established by narcotics syndicates within Hyderabad’s commercial and industrial corridors. Major components of the clandestine laboratory were procured directly from scientific glassware vendors based in Bahadurpally, while critical planning and cash exchanges took place in busy suburban zones such as Kukatpally near JNTU. Suspected links also surfaced connecting the syndicate to Vetukuri Labs in Kondamadugu and SM Labs in Moula Ali, exposing how metropolitan industrial hubs are covertly exploited to source specialized hardware for illegal production.

Official records show the procurement process started as early as March 2024, when an operative using the alias Krishna contacted TVR Scientific Glass Works in Bahadurpally to purchase a 200-litre reaction and distillation unit. Following negotiations that brought the price down to ₹2,92,500 plus GST, the buyer handed over a cash advance of ₹45,000 near JNTU in Kukatpally in April 2024. The massive machinery was shipped to Nagpur the following month, where supplier technicians were escorted to an agricultural field to complete the installation. Multiple subsequent cash payments of ₹80,000, ₹84,000, and ₹50,000 were finalized, followed by a July 2024 cargo delivery of an ₹84,500 20-litre laboratory flask setup.

Encrypted Communications and Precursor Chemicals

Investigators unraveled the transactional hierarchy through interrogations of Taneti Anand Kumar and intermediary Pabbeti Kishtaiah. Kishtaiah stated that he managed equipment deals at the behest of Fadh Shaikh, identified as the son of Fayaz Ahmed Rasool Sheikh. To avoid surveillance, the operatives strictly segregated their digital footprints, using Signal to communicate with syndicate leaders while relying on WhatsApp for dealings with equipment suppliers before scrubbing chat histories and uninstalling applications.

Expanding the sweep on October 17, EAGLE Force arrested Jairaj Krishna Shetty, the proprietor of JSV Globals in Vasai, Maharashtra. Shetty is accused of supplying propionyl chloride, an essential precursor chemical required for manufacturing mephedrone, directly to Meshram and his associates. Investigators are examining the network’s capacity to synthesize alprazolam and ephedrine alongside mephedrone, highlighting the syndicate’s expansive chemical reach across state borders.

"Efforts were continuing to apprehend the remaining accused and trace the financial transactions, chemical suppliers and logistical arrangements supporting the suspected network."

Authorities have formally identified 24 individuals implicated in the criminal enterprise. With 11 suspects currently in custody and 13 individuals absconding, police agencies are continuing comprehensive financial audits and interstate tracking operations to dismantle the logistical foundation that enabled the clandestine lab to function.