Meth lab busted in Greater Noida

GREATER NOIDA: A meth manufacturing lab, allegedly set up by foreign nationals at a single-storey residential building in Greater Noida, was busted by Greater Noida police, officers said on Thursday, adding that four Nigerians were arrested on Wednesday during the raid.

Meth or crystal meth is the common term for methamphetamine or MDMA drugs.

The four foreign nationals -identified as Ifeanyi Johnbosco, Chidi, Emmenuel, and Onyekechi -- all aged between 30 to 35, were arrested from the rented accommodation in Omicron-1, Greater Noida, officers said.

They said 26 kilos of meth estimated to be worth ₹100 crore in the international market was seized. Raw material, including apparatus and chemicals, were also recovered from the spot, police said.

Two cars used in carrying the manufacturing equipment and chemicals and drugs have also been confiscated, police said.

Police recovered passports of only two suspects.

“As per the passport and visa details, Johnbosco arrived in India on February 1, 2021, and his visa expired on March 5, 2021. But he continued to stay illegally in the country. Emmenuel arrived in India on December 5, 2021. His visa will expire on November 19, 2024. Their visa details are being investigated and no other documents have been recovered from them so far,” said the officer.

This was the third such bust by police in the district.

In 2023, on May 16 and May 31, the police seized over 70 kilos of meth and uncovered two drugs factories in Greater Noida, arresting a total of 13 foreign nationals. The latest operation was carried out by officers of the Ecotech-1 police station, Dadri police station, SWAT team and crime branch. According to SM Khan, deputy commissioner of police (Greater Noida), who led the operation, this gang became operational recently.

“Around two weeks ago, police intelligence learned about a rent agreement made between the owner of a house in Omicron-1 and two foreign nationals.

Acting on tip-offs, the house was being monitored by police… It was found that the foreign nationals were moving suspicious luggage into the house. A raid was conducted at the house on Wednesday and the four were arrested,” he said.

“The raw material and chemical suppliers, their networks, their financial transactions and their national and international supply lines will be probed,” said the officer. The embassy of the suspects has been alerted about the bust, the officer added.