Illegal MP lab manufacturing ‘doomsday chemical’ busted

In A First, 9Kg Of Fentanyl Seized, ‘America-Hating’ Scholar Held


In an operation spread over a week, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) with the help of a team of scientists from Defence Research & Development Establishment busted an illegal laboratory in Indore and recovered 9 kg of synthetic opioid, Fentanyl, that could have potentially killed 4-5 million people.


Run by a local businessman and a “US-hating” PhD “scholar chemist”, the fentanyl seizure, first in India, has raised security concerns in Delhi as it can cause large-scale casualties if used in chemical warfare, a scenario reminiscent of the plot in Alistair Maclean’s thriller “Satan Bug”. A Mexican national has also been arrested.

“Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and even inhaling its particles can be fatal. This is the first significant seizure of Fentanylin India. It is a landmark seizure as DRI has been able to thwart first attempts to manufacture it in India,” said D P Dash, DG, DRI.

The discovery has baffled scientists because manufacturing the drug requires the kind of expertise available only to trained scientists and high-end research laboratories. It is a controlled substance used with other medication for anaesthesia and pain relief. The drug spreads easily. Absorbed through the skin or inhaled accidentally, just 2mg is enough to kill a person.

A team of experienced scientists dealing with protection against chemical and biological warfare was called from DRDE, a defence laboratory of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), to confirm and authenticate the seizure of Fentanyl.

The value of the seized narcotic, which is 100 times stronger than morphine, is Rs 110 crore. Usually Fentanyl is trafficked by drug syndicates to US where it fetches a high street price and is sold as pills mixed with other chemicals.

Sources said, quoting estimates made by US authorities, that more than 20,000 people have died by overdose of Fentanyl in US in 2016.

Recently, the Mexican drug cartels have started using India as a base to manufacture the lethal drug. Indian authorities are tracking the procurement of precursor chemical 4ANPP used to manufacture Fentanyl but it is not known how it has infiltrated into the illegal Indian market.