DRI busts secret drug lab in Jalaun, seizing about 1,100 kg of drugs, chemicals

Revenue intelligence officers have shut down a working synthetic-drug laboratory hidden in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district, seizing about 1,100 kg of drugs and the chemicals used to make them.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) moved on the premises in the early hours of 29 October, acting on specific intelligence and with operational help from the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Two people linked to the facility have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

According to the Finance Ministry, the search found "a well-established and functional laboratory for the manufacture of synthetic drugs", along with manufacturing equipment.

What was found

The raid and the follow-up searches recovered, in approximate quantities:

• At the laboratory: 184 kg of semi-prepared drugs and 582 kg of precursor chemicals, along with equipment used in manufacturing.
• At an accused's home: 15.4 kg of finished methaqualone, 153 kg of chemicals and a machine used in the process.
• At a second accused's premises: 168 kg of precursor chemicals.

Together, the seizures add up to about 1,100 kg of drugs and precursor chemicals.

Why it matters

Precursor chemicals are the raw material of synthetic drugs, so seizing them stops future batches as well as the drugs already made. The ministry said the quantities of finished drugs, semi-prepared material, chemicals and equipment recovered "indicates the existence of an organised illicit drug manufacturing operation".

It said the operation had dismantled a large clandestine production facility and prevented "the manufacture of further quantities of synthetic drugs". The DRI said it remains committed to breaking up clandestine drug-manufacturing networks and the supply chains that sustain them.

What we don't know yet

The release does not name the two people arrested, say how long the laboratory had been running, or say where its output was being sold. The arrests are part of an ongoing case; the accused have not been convicted, and any charges will be tested in court.

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Source: official release by the Ministry of Finance, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (30 OCT 2026 11:05AM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: DRI busts a big clandestine synthetic drug manufacturing laboratory in Uttar Pradesh; seizes approx. 1,100 kg drugs and precursor chemicals; two arrested.