DRI busts factory producing illegal anxiety drugs in Gujarat; ₹22 crore stock seized
According to DRI officials, the illegal factory was operated by an inter-state network, and the drug produced there was intended to be supplied to certain suspects in Telangana for allegedly mixing with toddy. The operation was codenamed ‘White Cauldron’
MUMBAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)’s Mumbai unit has busted a clandestine Alprazolam manufacturing unit in Valsad, Gujarat, and seized illicit stock valued at ₹22 crore. Alprazolam, a psychotropic drug regulated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, is commonly prescribed to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
According to DRI officials, the illegal factory was operated by an inter-state network, and the drug produced there was intended to be supplied to certain suspects in Telangana for allegedly mixing with toddy. The operation was codenamed ‘White Cauldron’.
Acting on specific intelligence, DRI teams maintained discreet surveillance before raiding the premises on Tuesday. The search led to the seizure of 9.55 kg of Alprazolam in finished form and 104.15 kg in semi-processed form. Officers also recovered 431 kg of precursor chemicals, including p-Nitrochlorobenzene, Phosphorus Pentasulfide, Ethyl Acetate and Hydrochloric Acid. The unit was equipped with full industrial-scale machinery such as reactors, a centrifuge, refrigeration and heating systems.
Four persons have been arrested, including two alleged financiers who are believed to have masterminded the operation, a factory worker, and a recipient from Telangana who had arrived to collect the consignment.
The factory was located in a sparsely populated stretch off State Highway 701 in Valsad to avoid detection, officials said.
The agency noted that this is not an isolated incident. In August 2025, the DRI had dismantled a similar illegal Alprazolam facility in Andhra Pradesh, where 119.4 kg of the drug was seized, also intended for supply to Telangana for adulteration of toddy.
DRI officials said that with this latest action, the agency has dismantled four clandestine drug manufacturing units this year alone, reinforcing its efforts under the Centre’s “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan” initiative.
