Probe triggered by Mumbai peddler’s arrest leads to seizure of synthetic drugs worth crores; four arrested, kingpin on the run
Published on: January 02, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Mumbai/Bengaluru, India
In a significant breakthrough against organised narcotics networks, the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has unearthed three illegal drug manufacturing units operating clandestinely in Bengaluru for several years. The operation was triggered by the arrest of a drug peddler in Mumbai and has exposed a well-established inter-state drug supply chain linking Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan.
The investigation began on December 21, 2025, when the Konkan Division team of the Maharashtra ANTF arrested Abdul Qadir Rashid Shaikh alias Abdul Khadar on the Mumbai–Pune Highway. Synthetic drugs worth approximately ₹1.5 crore were seized from his possession. During interrogation, Shaikh revealed that the drugs were sourced from Prashant Yallappa Patil, a resident of Belagavi in Karnataka.
Following Patil’s arrest, detailed questioning led investigators to multiple locations in Bengaluru where illegal drug manufacturing units were allegedly operating under the guise of legitimate establishments.
On December 28, 2025, Maharashtra Police teams conducted coordinated raids at three locations in Bengaluru. According to officials, the units were operating under different covers: a business warehouse at Spandana Layout under Bagaluru police limits, an office masquerading as “RJ Event Management” at NG Gollahalli under Kothanur police limits, and a residential house in Yerappanahalli under Avalahalli police limits. Some reports have alternatively identified the locations as Horamavu, Kannur and Yerappanahalli, with one unit allegedly functioning from a farmhouse shed.
During the raids, police seized 4.1 kilograms of solid mephedrone (MD), 17 kilograms of liquid MD, along with machinery, chemicals and equipment used for drug manufacturing. Maharashtra Police estimated the total value of the seized narcotics and materials at ₹55.88 crore. However, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara placed the value at around ₹1.2 crore, terming higher figures as misleading.
Four accused have been arrested so far: Prashant Yallappa Patil of Belagavi, Suraj Ramesh Yadav and Malkhan Ramlal Bishnoi from Rajasthan, and another associate. The alleged mastermind of the drug racket, reportedly a resident of Rajasthan, remains absconding and is being actively pursued by law enforcement agencies.
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The bust has sparked a political storm in Karnataka, with serious questions being raised over the role and vigilance of the local police. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai termed the episode a failure of policing and hinted at possible collusion, alleging that drug factories operated in the state capital for years without detection.
Rejecting these allegations, Home Minister Dr Parameshwara said the action was the result of a joint operation involving Maharashtra Police, Bengaluru City Police, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the SOCO team. He asserted that strict action was being taken against all those found guilty.
In a significant administrative move, three Bengaluru police inspectors were suspended on December 30, 2025, as the illegal units were operating within their respective jurisdictional limits.
This is the second major anti-narcotics operation carried out by Maharashtra Police in Karnataka in 2025. Earlier, in July, authorities seized 187.97 kilograms of MD in Mysuru, with the estimated value pegged at ₹381 crore, underscoring the growing scale of the synthetic drug menace in the region.
