DUBAI: A Bollywood producer caught in perhaps the world’s biggest drug bust was working for a UAE-based Armenian man, XPRESS can reveal.
Subhash Dudani, 63, was arrested in India last fortnight after the country’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) raided his factory in the north Indian state of Rajasthan and seized a staggering 23.5 metric tonnes of Mandrax tablets (Methaqualone/ Quaalude), estimated to be worth over Rs30 billion (approximately Dh1.7 billion) in the international market. Now documents culled by XPRESS from DRI’s Mumbai office show that Dudani’s partner in crime and kingpin of the elaborate narcotics racket was a Sharjah-based Armenian, L.K., who ran an audio cassette and compact disc company in Dubai.
Judicial demand
In an application seeking Dudani’s judicial remand, DRI said the movie producer ‘conceived the idea of manufacturing Methaqualone following a string of meetings with L.K. at his Bur Dubai and Dubai Airport Free Zone offices.
L.K. not only promised to invest Rs1,000 million in Dudani’s drug manufacturing plant but also introduced him to a Syrian friend known by the pet name of Doctor. A DRI official investigating the case said it was ‘Doctor’ who taught Dudani the ‘entire process’ of making the banned synthetic drug. Armed with the dangerous knowledge, Dudani started manufacturing the psychotropic substance in the form of Mandrax tablets weighing 1.2 to 1.4 grams each at his factory in Udaipur, India. Once ready, the drugs were shipped to consignees in various countries at addresses provided from Dubai by L.K.’s, personal secretary via WhatsApp.
Authorities in India said investigations are underway and they are hopeful of nabbing others involved in the international drug syndicate.
