In a significant breakthrough, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Surat police has dismantled a clandestine laboratory manufacturing high-purity crystal mephedrone, commonly known as MD. The illicit operation was being run from an unlikely location—inside a sublet room of a legitimate testing lab in Polaris Mall, Surat. This marks the first time an illegal drug manufacturing unit has been discovered within the city, and that too in a bustling mall.
The Raid and Arrests
The operation culminated with the arrest of three individuals: a senior chemist and two drug traffickers. The police action was the result of a meticulous four-month investigation that began in August. The chain of events started on December 31, when SOG officials, while monitoring drug users, apprehended Zeel Thumar (21) with 236 grams of high-purity MD.
Interrogations led the police to the suppliers, Khushal Ranpariya (27) and Bharat Lathiya (32), who were subsequently nabbed. Tracing the supply chain further back, investigators were stunned to find the source: a lab operating from within Dkria Food and Pharma Analytical Laboratory, located in Polaris Mall, Parvat Patiya area.
A raid on this lab led to the arrest of Brijesh Bhalodiya (28), who was caught red-handed manufacturing the drug. Bhalodiya, an MSc in Chemistry, was employed as a senior chemist at Aether Industries in Sachin. Police seized a range of chemicals and apparatus, including toluene, propionyl chloride, an oven, and condensers, along with 17 grams of ready mephedrone intended for a client in Mumbai.
The Mastermind and Modus Operandi
According to SOG Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajdeep Nakum, the alleged mastermind is Janak Jagani, who is based in London. Jagani reportedly placed orders with Bhalodiya, who then produced the drugs and supplied them through Ranpariya and Lathiya to networks in Surat, Goa, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.
DCP Nakum stated, "We will initiate action against Jagani according to international law." The investigation revealed that Bhalodiya, seeking to make quick money, would visit the mall lab in the evenings after his day job. He had produced approximately 1 kilogram of high-purity MD so far, with each batch of 100 grams taking five to seven days to crystallize. The drug was being sold for about Rs 5,000 per gram in the market.
Educational Links and Clean Chit
Police discovered an interesting connection among the accused. Janak Jagani (BTech Chemical Engineering), Brijesh Bhalodiya (MSc Chemistry), and Khushal Ranpariya (BTech Electrical Engineering) had all studied at the same institution—Uka Tarsadia University in Surat district. The lab's owner, Isha Anghan, who also studied at the same campus, was given a clean chit.
Anghan, who had lived in London before returning to India, told police she had sublet a portion of her legitimate food and pharma testing lab to Bhalodiya based on a reference from her friend, Jagani. She claimed ignorance about the drug manufacturing, stating Jagani told her Bhalodiya needed space to develop a product as his own lab was in Kim, far from Surat.
The successful bust, dubbed 'Mission Factory' by the SOG team led by Inspector A P Chaudhary, highlights a sophisticated attempt to hide illegal activity in a commercial space. It underscores the evolving challenges law enforcement faces in combating drug networks that leverage professional expertise and legitimate fronts.
