 "Breaking Bad: What's behind so many meth lab busts in Greater Noida?")
Greater Noida, known more for its residential expanses and tech parks, has surprisingly emerged as a hotspot for a string of drug busts involving foreigners running meth labs over the past year. The most recent raid, on April 17, saw the arrest of four Nigerian nationals and the seizure of 26.67 kg of drugs valued at a staggering Rs 100 crore.
These drug dens, nestled in rented homes, were found to be churning out methamphetamine, popularly known as meth—a substance infamous for its highly addictive and hazardous nature.
This isn't a standalone incident. Police suspect that these raids are just the tip of a colossal international drug network iceberg.
The meth syndicate
Police sources told news agency PTI that Greater Noida's sprawling but less densely populated residential areas, coupled with easy access to Delhi, make it an ideal location for illicit drug manufacturing.
Last year, in two linked raids on May 16 and May 30, police seized over 75 kg of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, and arrested about a dozen foreigners from residential houses where full-fledged labs were set up for cooking meth.
The meth seized in these raids was collectively valued at over Rs 350 crore. Police further found that the meth, in its pure form, was cooked by foreigners operating at the lower echelons of the syndicate.
This meth was then sent to a contact person in Delhi and further routed to Europe through channels that are yet to be unveiled, an officer involved in the investigation told PTI.
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Availability of raw materials
Several police personnel, speaking to PTI, confirmed that Greater Noida, with its less-dense residential areas and convenient connectivity to Delhi, was an ideal hub for manufacturing the drug.
"In all three cases, the houses rented by the foreigners were in isolated locations with open areas on at least three sides, ensuring that the pungent smell from the meth cooking didn't alert nearby residents," explained an officer.
Another factor that made Greater Noida attractive for this nefarious activity was the availability of certain raw materials that are hard to procure abroad.
Ephedrine, for example, a medication and stimulant prohibited under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, is also banned by the government. Though available for pharmaceutical purposes, it comes with stringent regulations.
A police officer further disclosed that Ephedrine costs Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 per kg but fetches Rs 200,000 to Rs 300,000 per kg in the black market. It's difficult to obtain in Europe, and even when available, it would cost Rs 800,000 to Rs 1 million per kg.
"The profit margin from operating here is more than double. Additionally, meth is the second most expensive drug after cocaine. The meth cooked in Greater Noida wasn't intended for local consumption but for export," the officer added.
Use of shopping apps for drug shipping
Authorities are now probing how the foreigners procured Ephedrine locally.
During the latest raid, police found that the drug suppliers were using lesser-known shopping apps to ship the cooked meth. Their associates, whether in India or abroad, would simply place an order for a product and provide a foreign location as the delivery address.
"Once the meth reached Delhi, it was concealed in the sole of shoes, or creatively concealed inside hair extensions, or neatly tucked inside bales of textile clothes that are exported in bulk. It's difficult to detect the drugs, though agencies have thwarted many such attempts with the use of intelligence and insider networks," he said.
All individuals arrested in these three cases are currently in jail, police sources said.