Mumbai Zone 10 DCP reveals details of 192.53 kg Mephedrone drug bust in Mysuru

Mysore/Mysuru: In a follow-up to the massive anti-narcotics operation conducted on July 26, the Police have confirmed that the clandestine drug manufacturing unit unearthed in Mysuru was producing Mephedrone (commonly known as MD) worth Rs. 390 crore in the international market.

The raid, executed by the Mumbai Police, with the support of Mysuru Police, had exposed a sophisticated setup hidden inside a vehicle garage along the Ring Road service lane at Belavatha.

The factory was operating from a makeshift blue cement shed concealed behind a vehicle garage on the Ring Road service lane at Belavatha, under Narasimharaja (NR) Police Station limits in Mysuru.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai yesterday, Deputy Commissioner (Mumbai Zone 10) Datta Nalawade confirmed the haul, stating, “A total of 192.53 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs. 390 crore in the international market was seized from the drug manufacturing unit in Mysuru.”

Synthetic stimulant and equipment

Mephedrone (MD) is a synthetic stimulant drug chemically related to cathinone, known for producing effects similar to MDMA and cocaine. Along with the massive drug haul, the Police seized a large cache of raw chemicals, ovens, heaters, containers and distillation equipment used in production.

Eight individuals from Mumbai and Mysuru have been arrested so far in connection with the racket. The operation was executed by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Sakinaka Police Station, Zone 10, Mumbai Police, with assistance from Mysuru Police, the DCP said.

The synthetic drug manufactured in Mysuru was allegedly being supplied on a large scale to Mumbai, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The racket first came to light in April 2025, when the Police in Kaman, Palghar district, intercepted a peddler with 50 grams of mephedrone. This led to the registration of a case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Sakinaka Police Station.

Subsequent investigation uncovered a larger network. During initial raids, Police seized 4.053 kg of MD and drug-making equipment worth about Rs. 8.04 crore from Kaman village in Palghar, arresting 3 individuals.

Breakthrough

DCP Datta Nalawade said that the investigation took a decisive turn on July 25 with the arrest of Salim Imtiaz Sheikh alias Salim Langda (45) of Bandra West.

During interrogation, Salim disclosed that he sourced MD drugs from Mysuru. Based on this crucial tip-off, Police traced the supply chain to Mysuru.

Hidden blue shed

Following leads from multiple arrests, a special team led by Senior Inspector Pramod Tawde and Sub-Inspectors Dayanand Valwe and Pankaj Pardeshi, under the guidance of DCP Datta Nalawade and ACP Sampatrao Patil, kept the Mysuru location under discreet watch. They finally zeroed in on a blue cement shed, concealed behind a garage and unnoticeable from outside on the Ring Road, Mysuru.