Hyderabad: In a significant crackdown on the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted an illegal factory manufacturing Alprazolam, a psychotropic substance banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, in the Kondapalli Industrial Development Area of NTR district in Andhra Pradesh and arrested two persons in connection with the case, officials said on Saturday, March 14.
The operation, codenamed “Operation White Hammer,” led sleuths to a unit that was passing off as a legitimate chemical manufacturing facility, they said.
Searches at the premises yielded 237 kg of Alprazolam, estimated to be worth Rs 47 crore in the illicit market. Investigators also recovered over 800 kg of raw materials, 2,860 litre of chemicals and industrial equipment, including reactors, driers and a centrifuge, pointing to a large-scale, organised manufacturing set-up, a DRI official said.
Preliminary investigations revealed the operation was run by a chemist with over two decades of experience in the chemical and pharmaceutical sector, along with an associate who handled raw material procurement and distribution from Hyderabad. The duo had rented the factory premises specifically for the clandestine operation, officials said.
Both accused have been arrested, they added.
This post was last modified on March 14, 2026 5:01 pm