New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS): The Delhi Police have busted a clandestine laboratory equipped with high-tech apparatus for the production of methamphetamine drug. The illicit operation was allegedly masterminded by four African nationals, who were operating out of a luxurious private residence in Alestonia Estate, Greater Noida.

The arrested African nationals have been identified as Eze Uchenna James, AlitumoIfedi Shedrack, EzeIbe Emeka Chibuzo a.k.a. Iko and Ivo Osita a.k.a Usta. The police have recovered 445 gm methamphetamine from them.

Three of them were also found to be previously convicted in a commercial drugs case and were sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined Rs one lakh. They were later granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said that on January 27, a specific input about Uchenna being involved in a drug syndicate was received and he was apprehended.

“During his search 70 grams of fine quality methamphetamine drug was recovered from his possession. Uchenna had been previously arrested in a commercial drugs case by the Narcotics Control Bureau of Punjab and had been sentenced to 10 years in jail by a court. The accused was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court,” said the DCP.

During the investigation, through CCTV analysis and technical information it came to light that another African person AlitumoIfedi Shedrack who was accompanying the accused on a scooty, was also involved in the drugs business.

“Shedrack was the one who supplied methamphetamine drugs to Uchenna for selling,” said the DCP.

A trap was laid in the narrow lanes of Uttam Nagar in Dwarka district and Shedrack was also apprehended.

“Shedrack had been previously arrested in a commercial drugs case by the Narcotics Control Bureau of Punjab and he had also been sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment by the court,” said the DCP, adding that he was presently out on bail.

During interrogation, Shedrack disclosed that he along with Iko and Osita manufactures the methamphetamine drug from raw material in a lab at Alestonia Estate, Chaii-3, Greater Noida, District Gautam Budh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh

At the instance of Shedrack one lab which was established by them at a luxurious and lonely private place was busted and raw material around 20.5 kg including one kg of pseudoephedrine was recovered. Also sophisticated equipment including Heating Mantle Machine and high-quality face masks were recovered from the lab,” said the DCP.

The officer added that on the basis of manual and technical inputs the other co-accused Iko was also apprehended from Sant Garh, Tilak Nagar area and Osita was nabbed from Guru Nanak Nagar.

“Osita had also been previously arrested in a commercial drugs case by the Special Task Force, Mohali, Punjab and had been convicted by a court. The drugs were to be distributed by the accused persons to their customers,” the DCP stated.