Drug factory operating under guise of nursery, busted:Industry registered in Indore, but unit operated 145 km away in Agar Malwa

In a major crackdown on drug operators, police on Saturday busted a large MD (Mephedrone) drug manufacturing unit operating under the guise of a plant nursery in Agar-Malwa district. The Narcotics Department seized 31.25 kilograms of MD drug, estimated to be worth over Rs 50 crore in the international market. Fake nursery, real drug factory Investigations over the past three days have revealed startling details. The unit was operating under the name “Teerth Herbal Farm and Nursery”, but in reality functioned as a full-fledged MD drug factory. The enterprise was registered as a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) with the Industry Department on June 29, 2024. Official documents listed the plant location as Nasiya Road, Indore, while the factory was actually running 145 km away in Agar-Malwa. The registration email IDs and mobile numbers were found to be in the names of Sandeep Pokharna and Abhay Pokharna. Remote location, tight security The factory is located about 25 kilometres from Agar-Malwa on the Jhalawar–Kota Road. From a Hanuman temple and a stone crusher nearby, a 2 kilometres-long dirt road leads deep into the forest area, where the nursery is spread across three acres. A board outside reads “Teerth Herbal Farm and Nursery”, with wire fencing all around. Agricultural fields surround the premises, helping it blend into the rural landscape. Indore-based operators, bank account in the city The key operators are reportedly from Indore. Documents link Anil, Abhay and Sandeep Pokharna, along with their family members, to the operation. Names of Kaluram Rathadia, his wife Aarti Rathadia, and their associates have also emerged. The nursery’s bank account is based at a bank branch in Pardeshipura, Indore. On paper, the business was registered as a wholesale trade of plants and flowers. Full lab setup, electrified boundary During the raid, officials found a complete laboratory used for MD drug manufacturing inside the premises. The boundary fencing was electrified, and security arrangements resembled those of a high-risk industrial unit. Investigators say the factory was linked to the Mandsaur–Rajasthan Devalji drug network. Second major drug link to Mandsaur This is the second instance where an MD drug factory has been linked to Mandsaur. Earlier, on October 6, a massive MD drug factory worth Rs 1,814 crore was busted in Bhopal, where Mandsaur resident Harish Aanjna was named. During interrogation, he identified Shoeb Lala as the network’s mastermind. In the Agar-Malwa case, accused Dharasingh and Prahlad Singh were found to be connected to Gabbhu, a notorious drug trafficker from Mandsaur. After splitting from Gabbhu, the duo allegedly set up their own network while retaining the same clientele. Both are currently absconding. Drug supply trail to Rajasthan Accused Kushal Singh confessed during interrogation that the MD drug was meant to be supplied through Dharasingh to Jamshed alias Seth Lala Pathan of Devalji. Earlier, on October 21, another network link was busted in Garoth, involving MD drug worth Rs 1.5 lakh. Criminal record of nursery operator The nursery operator Kaluram Ratadiya has a long criminal history related to narcotics and violent crimes. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected as the network’s financial and logistical links are being traced.