Delhi Police on Friday claimed to have busted an inter-state drug cartel, arresting three members and seizing large quantities of raw materials used to produce heroin and other narcotics.

According to the officials, the accused, who have been identified as Mohammad Jafar, Mohammad Ahmad and Mohammad Furkan, were apprehended.

“The seized materials included 650 kilograms of Sodium Carbonate Anhydrous, 39 kilograms of Acetic Anhydride, and 3.2 kilograms of a white powder identified as calcium oxide. These chemicals are critical precursors for the synthesis of narcotics like heroin,” police said.

According to the police, the investigation began on February 25, with the arrest of Shakib Hussain, who was found in possession of 884 grams of heroin. During interrogation, Hussain revealed that his supplier was one Validad Khan. In March, Khan was apprehended in Amroha leading to the seizure of additional raw materials. This arrest also uncovered the involvement of other facilitators in the supply chain, including Furkan Khan and Jafar.

Police said that further investigation identified Jafar as a major supplier of raw materials. A team was formed to track him. Later the team apprehended Jafar in Bareilly on October 1. Based on his disclosures, Mohammad Ahmad and Mohammad Furkan, who were Jafar’s associates in supplying raw material to various contraband drug manufacturers were also apprehended in November from Gazipur and Amroha, respectively on November 28.

"Further investigation of the entire matter is underway," Special Commissioner of Police Devesh Chandra Srivastava said.

The police said that calcium oxide (anhydrous lime) is used to rinse off any opium still stuck to the wrapping material, Sodium Carbonate Anhydrous is used for synthesis of heroin and Acetic Anhydride is the main drug precursor used in the processing of morphine into heroin.

All the three accused have studied upto 10th class. Jafar has been long indulged in drug trafficking, the police stated. Amhad used to supply Crude (Morphine)/Chemicals to various drug manufacturers. Later, he came in contact with Validad Khan and started supplying the raw material to him through Jafar.

An officer said that Furkan owns a cotton making factory at Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, from where he learnt the uses of chemicals. “He came in contact with Jafar who used to procure chemicals from him and supply them to Validad,” he said.