Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal is turning into a hotspot of drug smuggling and its addiction, an indicator of which is large haul of drugs seized by crime branch in 2024.
The recovery of large quantities of drugs and other contraband indicates that youths in Bhopal are becoming addicts of drugs, MD, marijuana, hashish and other sedatives. Drug peddlers are active in different areas for supplying it as the recoveries and arrests were several times higher than those made last year and in 2022.
Moreover, for the first time in three years, local crime branch seized large quantity of sedative syrup (corex) worth over Rs 2.50 lakh. The increase in recoveries and arrests also suggests that organised gangs are involved in smuggling of drugs, marijuana in the district. Busting of a drug factory at Bagroda Industrial Enclave by NCB and Gujrat ATS on October 6 raised questions on local intelligence and informer network of Bhopal police. The drug factory secretly raided by joint teams of Gujrat ATS and NCB on October 5 was being run for the past several months.
However, Bhopal police failed to get any clues regarding the factory, which had the capacity of producing 25 kilograms of MD (mephedrone) drugs each day, as claimed by Gujrat ATS following the raid. The joint teams had recovered 907 kilograms of MD worth over Rs 1,800 crore. The mastermind of the drug syndicate Amit Chaturvedi and his aides Sanyal Prakash Bane and Harish Anjana were arrested in the case.
Besides busting of a drug factory at Bagroda, Bhopal Crime Branch also made significant seizures of drugs along with marijuana and hashish in 2024. Crime branch registered 51 cases of NDPS while arresting 95 drug smugglers and peddlers. The figure of cases last year was 12 and arrested accused were 21 in number. In 2024, crime branch seized over 440 kilograms of marijuana worth over 80.44 lakh. The seizure of hashish (charas) also increased in 2024, which was 44.58 kilograms worth Rs 20.90 crore. Crime branch seized 92.16 miligrams of MD (mephedrone) drugs worth Rs 56.17 lakh along with 95 sedative nitravate tablets, 7 injections and vehicles used in their smuggling.
Corex For the first time in three years, crime branch seized 132 cartons of sedative syrup (corex), which is worth over Rs 2.69 lakh. The syrup is used as an addiction and is an alternative sedative to drug addicts. The syrup is usually smuggled from Uttar Pradesh.
