In a major crackdown on narcotics, the Maharashtra Police, with the assistance of Mysuru City Police, raided a garage-like shed on the Bannimantap Ring Road late July 27 night and unearthed a large-scale drug storage and processing unit. The operation led to the arrest of four individuals and the seizure of a massive quantity of synthetic drugs.
Based on a tip-off from a drug peddler arrested in Maharashtra, the police raided the shed. They discovered 11 kilograms of MDMA in powder form and 50 kilograms in liquid form, believed to be in the process of refinement and packaging. The seized contraband is estimated to be worth several crores on the black market.
Four arrested, interstate links suspected
Those arrested have been identified as Feroz Maula Sheikh from Mumbai, Sheikh Adil and Syed Mehfooz from Gujarat, and Ajmal Sharif, a local from Mysore. Preliminary investigation suggests the group was operating a well-organised narcotics supply chain, with Ajmal allegedly providing logistical and local support.
Police sources have indicated that one more person, allegedly involved in the supply network, is being questioned. The Maharashtra police are expected to take the accused to Mumbai for further interrogation and to proceed with the case.
The shed rented for a garage turned into a drug unit
The location of the bust, a shed along Bannimantap Ring Road, was originally rented by Ajmal Sharif for a car repair garage at a monthly rent of Rs 20,000 with an advance of Rs 2 lakh. He subsequently sublet half of the property to a Mumbai-based man named Ryan for Rs 2 lakh per month. The police suspect this part of the shed was used to store and process narcotics for distribution across state lines.
According to police sources, “This setup was deliberately kept low-profile. From the outside, it appeared like a regular auto garage, which helped evade suspicion.”
The inspector was suspended for negligence
Following the raid, the Mysuru City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar launched a swift response with a midnight combing operation, covering 59 locations across the city, including Mandi Mohalla, Udayagiri, N.R. Mohalla, K.R. Mohalla, and Nazarbad. The crackdown aimed to identify potential drug connections and verify suspicious premises.
Commissioner Seema Latkar, speaking to the media, said, “We are taking this matter very seriously. It is alarming that such a large quantity of synthetic drugs was being stored and possibly manufactured within the city. We will continue intensive inspections in all police station limits in the coming days.”
In the wake of the incident, Inspector Laxmikant Talwar of N.R. Mohalla was suspended for dereliction of duty. Commissioner Latkar confirmed the action and added, “Inspector Shabbir Hussain of the CCB has now been assigned to handle responsibilities in his place.”
BJP criticised the drug mafia operating in the state
The development has triggered reactions in Karnataka. BJP leader R. Ashoka launched a sharp attack on the Congress-led state government, stating, “The drug mafia has found shelter in Mysuru, the cultural capital. The Maharashtra Police had to step in while our government remains embroiled in infighting over power. Law and order have collapsed under Siddaramaiah’s watch.”
Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, expressing shock, said, “We were stunned to learn that synthetic drugs were being manufactured in Mysuru. We will take this up with the Union Home Ministry. Such activities threaten the moral fabric of society and must be crushed with an iron hand. The police need to act with urgency and vigilance.”
With this major seizure, Mysuru has now become the latest flashpoint in India’s growing synthetic drug crisis. The police have indicated that deeper investigations are ongoing and more arrests may follow. The nexus between local facilitators and interstate drug syndicates has exposed critical gaps in intelligence, raising alarm bells across enforcement and political circles.
