Maharashtra ANTF Cracks Down on Bengaluru's Mephedrone Network

The Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) dismantled three mephedrone manufacturing units in Bengaluru, arresting four individuals and seizing contraband drugs valued at Rs 55.88 crore. The operation was initiated by the arrest of a dealer in Mumbai, leading to further arrests and the discovery of drug manufacturing units.

In a significant breakthrough, the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force has dismantled three mephedrone manufacturing units in Bengaluru, leading to the arrest of four suspects and a seizure of contraband worth Rs 55.88 crore, according to an official statement on Saturday.

The operation started on December 21 when the ANTF's Konkan unit raided Vashi in Navi Mumbai and apprehended Abdul Qadir Rashid Shaikh with 1.488 kilograms of mephedrone, estimated at Rs 1.48 crore. This arrest helped the probe team trace Prashant Yallappa Patil from Belgaum, implicated in the drug's production in Bengaluru.

The investigation, spearheaded by ANTF chief Sharda Raut and superintendent M M Makandar, culminated in the arrest of Suraj Ramesh Yadav and Malkhan Ramlal Bishnoi. Both individuals from Rajasthan confessed to manufacturing synthetic drugs, resulting in the confiscation of 4.10 kilograms of mephedrone and 17 kilograms of its liquid form. Efforts are ongoing to capture other members of this extensive drug network.

(With inputs from agencies.)