Kazakhstan's police have shut down an underground lab producing synthetic drugs.

The officers from the Committee for Combating Drug Crime arrested a 54-year-old man and his 26-year-old son, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the father drew his son into the drug trade and taught him how to manufacture synthetic narcotics.

During the operation, officers seized 200 kg of mephedrone, over 2 tons of precursors, chemical reactors, and lab equipment. Experts estimate this amounts to around 600,000 individual doses, with a potential black-market value exceeding 5 billion tenge.

Officials believe some of the precursors were being shipped to other regions, indicating an attempt to establish production on an industrial scale.

“We dismantled the entire chain, from chemical suppliers to the production organizers,” said Daniyar Meirkhan, Chairman of the Committee for Combating Drug Crime.

The suspects now face penalties of up to life imprisonment.