Explained: The Mexico cartel connection to the Greater Noida meth lab bust

A surprising connection to a deadly Mexican cartel has surfaced after law enforcement agencies busted a methamphetamine lab in Greater Noida on October 25.

Teams from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Delhi Police Special Cell raided a facility, seizing around 95 kg of methamphetamine. Reports indicate that the lab’s operations involved a Tihar Jail warden, a Delhi businessman, and a Mumbai chemist.

Members of one of Mexico’s most infamous drug cartels, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), were linked to the illicit drug lab, India Today reported.

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The drug bust

Law enforcement officials from the NCB and Delhi Police Special Cell seized nearly 95 kg of drugs during the raid on a Greater Noida industrial site. They arrested five people, including a Mexican national and a Tihar jail warder.

The NCB said in a statement that the lab was busted in the Kasna industrial area of Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district on October 25. Roughly 95 kg of methamphetamine, a synthetic drug, was seized in both solid and liquid states.

The Delhi Police Special Cell assisted the federal anti-narcotics agency, as “the drug network has footprints across several places in the National Capital Region”.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a businessman from Delhi, who was caught during the raid, joined hands with the Tihar Jail warden to set up the illegal lab, procuring chemicals required for the drugs from various sources and importing the machinery, according to NCB Deputy Director General (Operations) Gyaneshwar Singh.

Singh added that a chemist from Mumbai was hired by the group to produce the drug, with quality checks conducted by a Mexican cartel member residing in Delhi.

The four suspects were presented before a special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court on October 27, which remanded them to three days of NCB custody.

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The link to Mexico drug cartel

The secret lab in Greater Noida was linked to the Mexican drug cartel known as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Originally an offshoot of the Milenio Cartel - one of Mexico’s most feared criminal groups - the CJNG has a reputation for extreme violence and intimidation tactics.

Mexico News Daily reported in 2017 that CJNG recruits who fail their training are sometimes subjected to cannibalism as punishment.

A Mexican cartel member residing in Delhi allegedly tested the methamphetamine produced at the Greater Noida lab, and further investigations confirmed links between the lab and the CJNG.

Known for its extensive drug-trafficking operations, CJNG has rapidly expanded since its 2010 split from the Milenio Cartel, operating in over 30 countries, including the United States, Europe, and, apparently, now India.

Founded by El Mencho - one of Mexico’s most wanted men and a high-priority target in the USA - the CJNG cartel has gained notoriety for its brutal tactics, including violence and psychological warfare, to assert control.

Several experts told The Daily Beast that recruits are frequently coerced into acts of cannibalism during the three to four months of boot camp.

“They are given a choice of one of those pieces to eat in front of the boss. You have to do it without reacting or vomiting, or you are beaten,” a source told The Daily Beast.

“If you didn’t want to [eat human flesh] they wouldn’t let you leave, they had you there.”

The investigation into the case

The raid on the Greater Noida lab also uncovered various chemicals essential for synthetic drug manufacturing, including acetone, sodium hydroxide, methylene chloride, ethanol, toluene, red phosphorus, ethyl acetate, and specialised machinery, the agency said.

According to NCB’s Gyaneshwar Singh, the investigation is now focused on tracing the financial assets and logistical networks generated through this drug trafficking.

This bust follows a series of substantial drug seizures by central agencies. Earlier this month, the NCB seized 907 kg of mephedrone in Bhopal, and the Delhi Police Special Cell, which aided in the Greater Noida raid, recently seized 562 kg of cocaine, valued at over Rs 2,000 crore, from a warehouse in Mahipalpur Extension, South West Delhi.

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Why foreigners choose Greater Noida to set up meth labs

Greater Noida’s appeal for foreign drug syndicates lies in its combination of low-density residential areas and strategic connectivity to Delhi, making it an ideal location for setting up secret methamphetamine labs, many police officials told PTI.

The rented properties used for meth labs are often isolated, with open spaces on at least three sides to disperse the strong, distinctive smell generated during meth production, minimising the risk of detection by neighbours, police said. This characteristic location factor makes Greater Noida particularly conducive for illicit drug activities without drawing local attention.

Another key advantage in Greater Noida is the availability of essential ingredients that are harder to source abroad. Ephedrine, a medication and stimulant which is prohibited under the NDPS Act and whose sale is also banned by the government, is technically available for pharmaceutical purposes but with restrictions.

Here, ephedrine costs between ₹ 80,000 and ₹ 90,000 per kg, far less than the ₹ 8–10 lakh per kg price it fetches in Europe, where strict controls make it difficult to procure. On the black market, however, the price for ephedrine in India can spike to ₹ 2–3 lakh per kg, making it extremely profitable.

“The profit margin by operating here is more than double. Also, the meth is second most expensive to cocaine and what they cooked here in Greater Noida was not meant for local supply but was to be exported," the officer told the news agency.

Another factor attracting drug networks to Greater Noida is the industrial setting, which helps avoid suspicion from local authorities.

According to the NCB, these groups are increasingly setting up labs in industrial areas. This setup allows them to transport machinery and chemicals and dispose of lab waste, as well as release fumes from the chemical processes without raising alarms, as these activities are common in such zones, helping the operation blend into the surroundings.