Mephedrone Raid: Karnataka Home Minister says seizure worth ₹1.20 Cr, not ₹55.88 Cr

A major interstate synthetic drug manufacturing and distribution network has come under the scanner after the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) claimed to have dismantled multiple mephedrone production units in Bengaluru, a claim later nuanced by Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara , who described the operation as a joint effort and disputed the scale of seizures.

The Maharashtra ANTF on Saturday announced that it had busted three mephedrone manufacturing units in Bengaluru, arrested four persons, and seized contraband and machinery worth ₹55.88 crore. According to Maharashtra police, the action was part of a state-wide crackdown on narcotics and began with the arrest of a drug courier on the Pune-Mumbai Highway on December 21.

The Konkan unit of the ANTF intercepted Abdul Kader Rashid Sheikh at Vashi village in Navi Mumbai and seized mephedrone worth ₹1.48 crore from his possession. Investigations following his arrest led officers to Prashant Yallapa Patil , a resident of Belgaum, identified as a key link in the drug manufacturing chain. The probe further revealed the existence of clandestine drug production facilities operating out of Bengaluru.

Based on these inputs, ANTF teams arrested Suraj Ramesh Yadav and Malkhan Ramlal Bishnoi , both residents of Rajasthan, who were allegedly managing the manufacturing operations. The accused led investigators to locations in NG Golahalli, Yerappanahalli and Kannur, where raids resulted in the seizure of 21.4 kg of mephedrone in solid and liquid forms, along with chemicals, laboratory equipment and machinery. Maharashtra police said all three units were destroyed to prevent further misuse.

However, a day after the ANTF’s announcement, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the operation was a “collective effort” involving the Karnataka Police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and not solely a Maharashtra-led action.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday, Parameshwara said the Maharashtra police had shared intelligence with their Karnataka counterparts and sought assistance before carrying out the raids. “Based on the information they got from a person arrested in Mumbai, they, along with our police, raided the place and seized a lot of chemicals which are supposed to have been used for preparation of drugs,” he said.

He clarified that contrary to reports, only one location was raided and not three separate manufacturing units. “A state police team headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police was involved, along with the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team and the NCB. Projecting this as only a Maharashtra ANTF operation is not correct,” the minister said.

Parameshwara also disputed the valuation of the seized material. “It’s about 3.5 kg of chemicals, which costs approximately ₹30 lakh per kg. Totally it is approximately ₹1.20 crore. It’s not ₹55.88 crore . They have claimed it as ₹55.88 crore, that is why I am issuing a clarification,” he said.

Officials from Maharashtra, meanwhile, maintained that preliminary findings indicated the synthetic drugs produced at the facilities were supplied to multiple states, and that proceeds from the illegal trade were allegedly laundered through real estate investments in Bengaluru.

Mephedrone, popularly known as “MD” or “meow meow”, is a chemically manufactured synthetic drug, similar to fentanyl and methamphetamine. Unlike plant-based narcotics such as cocaine or marijuana, synthetic drugs are produced in laboratories using chemical precursors, making them easier to manufacture, harder to detect, and often more potent and dangerous. Law enforcement agencies have flagged such drugs as a growing threat due to their high profit margins and severe health risks, including addiction and fatal overdoses.

Parameshwara said Karnataka police have intensified anti-drug operations since November following intelligence inputs that peddlers may stock narcotics ahead of the New Year. He noted that drugs worth ₹165 crore have been seized in the state so far and warned of strict action against officers failing to curb drug-related activities in their jurisdictions.

Four persons have been arrested in connection with the case, while efforts are ongoing to trace two key suspects believed to be part of the wider interstate distribution network.