Authorities have seized mephedrone (MD) drug valued at Rs 1,814 crore and its raw materials from a factory on the outskirts of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal and arrested two persons in this connection, officials said on Sunday.

Total 907.09 kg of mephedrone, both in solid and liquid forms, was seized in the raid and search operation carried out jointly by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Delhi, at the factory located in Bagroda industrial estate near Bhopal on Saturday, they said.

This is the largest illegal factory ever busted by the Gujarat ATS. The unit had the capacity to manufacture 25 kg of MD drug per day, the ATS said in a statement. A process was underway to manufacture a large amount of the contraband when the raid was carried out, it said.

During the operation, authorities seized 907.09 kg of mephedrone, both in solid and liquid forms, with an estimated value of Rs 1,814.18 crore in the international market, the ATS said. Two persons, identified as Amit Chaturvedi (57) and Sanyal Prakash Bane (40), were arrested during the raid, it said.  During their preliminary interrogation, it came to light that Bane was earlier arrested in 2017 in a MD drug seizure case at Amboli in Maharashtra and served five years in jail. "After his release, he conspired with co-accused Chaturvedi to illegally manufacture and sell MD to earn substantial financial profits. And decided to rent a factory on the outskirts of Bhopal," the ATS said. They took the factory on rent six-seven months ago, it said.

Three-four months back, they collected the raw material and equipment and started manufacturing MD and selling it, the ATS said. In addition to the contraband, around 5,000 kg of raw materials, comprising chemicals and equipment, used for the production of MD, including grinders, motors, glass flasks, heaters and other apparatus, were also found during the raid, it said.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi lauded efforts of the law enforcement agencies in combating drug-trafficking. "Kudos to Gujarat ATS and NCB (Ops), Delhi, for a massive win in the fight against drugs! Recently, they raided a factory in Bhopal and seized MD and materials used to manufacture MD, with a staggering total value of Rs 1814 crores!," Sanghavi said in a post on X.

"This achievement showcases the tireless efforts of our law enforcement agencies in combating drug trafficking and abuse. Their collaborative efforts are crucial in safeguarding the health and security of our society," he said.