Joint Director Directorate of Revenue Intelligence C M Sharma said DRI officials from Ahmedabad and Surat with the assistance of officers from Vadodara carried out the operation. The officials found that Enavant Laboratories Pvt Ltd in GIDC Por was manufacturing Mandrax tablets with a market value of over Rs 70 lakh. This, according to Sharma, is a major manufacturing facility.

Sharma said that this had also revealed the new modus operandi of using sick and closed drug manufacturing units for production of narcotic substances. He said the factory was working during the night and had taken an illegal electricity connection from the neighbouring unit.

Among those who took part in the operation were Joint Director C M Sharma, Deputy Director Yogendra Garg, Deputy Director in Surat Bhatija and Additional Director General Mumbai V Shirdhar.

Following a tip-off, the officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence began an inspection of the premises of Enavant laboratories which resulted in identification of the machinery used in manufacture of Mandrax tablets. About 67 kgs of paste of methaqualone powder used for making Mandrax tablets was found. About 37 kg of another chemical which tested positive for narcotics was also recovered.

Among those arrested included Ganesh Rajaram Jadav who hailed from Jambuwadi in Ratnagiri, an employee of the firm who was involved in production of Mandrax tablets.

Sharma said that Prakash Thakkar, a resident of Vadodara and Managing director of Enavant laboratories, is absconding.