Jaipur: Two engineering students allegedly turned their familiarity with technology and online commerce into a drug manufacturing supply chain by sourcing a precursor chemical from China and selling it to a man in Nagaur, police said Sunday after arresting the duo from Maharashtra.The two BTech students, Kritagya Rajendra Thakur and Sahil Atul Chaudhary, both 21, were nabbed Saturday after a probe established their connection to an illegal MD (mephedrone) drug manufacturing unit busted in Nagaur’s Deep Colony earlier this month.The duo was detained in Nagpur, Maharashtra, and arrested after questioning.Nagaur SP Asharam Chaudhary said the two allegedly supplied 2-Bromo-4-methylpropiophenone, a precursor chemical used in the manufacture of MD, to one Mahavir, who was arrested after a police raid on an illegal drug facility on Aug 10.Mahavir told interrogators that he made contact with Kritagya and Sahil through a Telegram group for the supply of the chemical, after which the duo sourced it from China through an ecommerce website and sold it to Mahavir for nearly twice what they had paid.What has particularly drawn investigators’ attention in the case is the background of the two alleged suppliers.Kritagya is a final-year BTech IT student, while Sahil is pursuing his third-year BTech in Computer Science. Police said both have a strong understanding of computers and technology.The investigation into the case began after the Aug 10 raid on the drug manufacturing unit, which led to the seizure of over 389 grams of MD and the arrest of Mahavir (28), a resident of Lunsara who was living in Deep Colony. Investigators also recovered a pistol, a live cartridge and three empty cartridges, along with Rs 1.8 lakh in cash and 100 prohibited Tramadol capsules.A case was subsequently registered under the NDPS Act and Arms Act at Kotwali police station in Nagaur.Police said the facility additionally contained around 25 litres of chemicals, glass trays containing semi-processed MD, electronic weighing machines and packaging material.Police had earlier arrested 11 people in connection with the case, all of whom are currently in judicial custody. The latest arrests are expected to help investigators establish how the precursor chemical was sourced, who financed its purchase and who else was involved in the manufacture and distribution of MD.
