Mysore/Mysuru: In the wake of a massive MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or ecstasy) drug bust on the Outer Ring Road, Mysuru City Police have intensified their crackdown on narcotics networks operating in and around the city.

The joint operation conducted on Saturday by the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Squad and Mysuru City Police unearthed a sophisticated drug racket operating from a vehicle garage.

Night-long raids on homes

Following the seizure, a team led by City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar and Deputy Commissioners of Police R.N. Bindu Mani (Law & Order) and K.S. Sundar Raj (Crime & Traffic) conducted late-night raids on the residences of 35 known offenders previously linked to marijuana trafficking. Of these, 29 were subjected to intense questioning.

In Mandi Mohalla, the Police came across 26 individuals who were consuming ganja and arrested one seller. Simultaneous surprise raids were also conducted in Udayagiri, N.R. Mohalla, Nazarbad, and K.R. Mohalla. In total, 59 warehouses, several hostels and residential premises were inspected during the crackdown.

“Since the MDMA unit was raided on Saturday, we have continued operations. Last night alone, we raided 35 homes until 12.30 am. The crackdown will continue, and an FIR has been registered,” Commissioner Latkar told Star of Mysore this morning. She has also directed all police stations to launch special anti-drug drives in their respective jurisdictions.

13 kg seized, 50 kg in production

Acting on a tip-off from an accused, Maharashtra Police — assisted by local Police authorities — raided the production facility on Saturday.

The raid yielded 13 kg of powdered MDMA and about 50 kg of MDMA in liquid form, undergoing processing. Police sources confirmed four arrests, though the Commissioner declined to reveal the total quantity seized.

The arrested suspects are: Firoz Maula Sheikh (28), Andheri, Mumbai, Sheikh Adil Bin Jubair (23), Surat, Gujarat, Syed Mehfooz Ali (21), Bharuch, Gujarat – a chemical diploma holder and Ajmal Sharif (45), Mysuru

Investigations revealed the premises belonged to Cable Mahesh of Kumbarakoppal and had been rented to Ajmal for Rs. 20,000 per month. Ajmal constructed a car shed, using part of it for car repairs and subletting the remaining space to a Mumbai-based individual named Riyan for a staggering Rs. 2 lakh per month.

Earlier arrests linked to April seizure

This operation is a follow-up to a major seizure in April, when Maharashtra Police arrested seven people and confiscated a huge cache of MDMA.

Several accused had absconded at the time; one was recently arrested and, during interrogation, revealed that he and three associates had been hiding in Mysuru, supplying drugs to Bengaluru and other cities across multiple States.

Officials disclosed that the syndicate was importing MDMA and other synthetic drugs into Mumbai from abroad, distributing them nationwide through bulk transactions rather than retail peddling. The cartel used secure ‘safe houses’ across major cities, ensuring even intermediaries were unaware of storage locations.

With four fresh arrests, the total number of accused in custody has risen to eleven. Investigators confirmed that at least three of them are foreign nationals, pointing to a large-scale, organised international drug syndicate.

Mysuru Police are now probing deeper links: How did the traffickers establish local contacts? Were there facilitators within the city? Could additional cells be operating undetected? The investigation aims to uncover the full extent of Mysuru’s role in this narcotics network.

Suspended yesterday… Revoked today !

In the wake of the drug bust, Narasimharaja (NR) Inspector Lakshmikanth K. Talawar was suspended yesterday for dereliction of duty. However, the  suspension order was revoked today.

The suspension, issued on the orders of City Police Commissioner, was an administrative measure. To maintain operational continuity, CCB Inspector Shabbir Hussain had been given additional charge of NR Station.