UP police smashes MDMA syndicate, advocate among four held
Jaunpur, September 09: The Jaunpur police and SWAT team of Uttar Pradesh busted a gang manufacturing and selling Methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) and arrested four accused on Wednesday. The MDMA drug manufacturing equipment worth ₹ 1.5 crore, ₹ 9,500 in cash and two four-wheelers were recovered from their possession.
The additional superintendent of police (ASP) Rural Aatish Kumar Singh revealed on Wednesday that on September 8, information was received that some people were manufacturing MDMA at the Grand Welcome Restaurant/Hotel located on Station Road in Kerakat police station area. Acting on the tip-off, the Kerakat police and the SWAT team raided the spot and arrested four accused while preparing the material. Approximately 317 grams of finished MDMA and 660 grams of semi-finished MDMA were recovered from the accused. In addition, materials used to manufacture the drug were also recovered. The arrested accused include Saidanpur resident advocate Shashank Maurya, Sunil Kumar Sonkar, Rahul Sonkar, and Shivshankar.
According to the police, the Molly gang’s network extends to Mirzapur, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. In 2025, a chemical engineer was arrested in a similar case in the Barsathi police station area, which revealed his connection to these accused. He is currently lodged in Noida jail. Police are now probing where the accused obtained the raw materials for MDMA, how they prepared it, and where they supplied it. Police have initiated further action against the accused.
