DRI dismantled a multi-state drug network in Valsad under “Operation White Cauldron.”

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a multi-state drug network in Valsad, Gujarat. The factory was producing a psychotropic substance, Alprazolam, under the NDPS Act, 1985.

• The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a clandestine factory located in a sparsely populated area near Gujarat State Highway (SH) 701 in Valsad, Gujarat. The factory was producing a psychotropic substance, Alprazolam, under the NDPS Act, 1985.
• As a result of this operation, named “Operation White Cauldron,” Alprazolam worth ₹22 crore was seized, and four people were arrested, including the mastermind, who is both the financier and manufacturer, as well as the intended recipient of the drug.
• Under the nationwide “Operation Weed Out,” the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recently seized 39.2 kilograms of hydroponic weed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
• Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officials kept a close watch on the identified manufacturing facility. On November 4, 2025, a swift and coordinated raid was conducted, leading to the exposure of a large-scale illegal manufacturing unit.

“Operation White Cauldron”

The search resulted in the seizure of the following items:

• 9.55 kilograms of Alprazolam (finished form)
• 104.15 kilograms of Alprazolam (semi-finished form)
• 431 kilograms of raw materials, including key chemicals such as p-nitrochlorobenzene, phosphorus pentasulfide, ethyl acetate, and hydrochloric acid.
• A complete industrial processing setup including reactors, centrifuges, an industrial refrigeration unit, and heating mantles.
• In this operation, two key individuals directly involved in the manufacture and financing of Alprazolam and one employee assisting in production were arrested. The person who came from Telangana to collect the drug was also arrested, bringing the total number of arrests to four.
• It is noteworthy that in August 2025, DRI had also busted a similar Alprazolam manufacturing unit in Achyutapuram, Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh. The seized 119.4 kilograms of Alprazolam was also intended to be sent to Telangana for mixing in toddy.
• Earlier this year, based on intelligence inputs, DRI dismantled four clandestine drug manufacturing units, demonstrating its continued vigilance, operational excellence, and unwavering commitment to the government’s Nasha Mukt Bharat (Drug-Free India) campaign to protect citizens from the threat of narcotic and psychotropic substances.

About the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence

• The DRI was established in 1957 as the apex anti-smuggling intelligence and investigation agency.
• It functions under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• The DRI enforces the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and over fifty other allied acts, including the Arms Act, NDPS Act, COFEPOSA (Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities), Wildlife Act, Antiquities Act, etc.