Mumbai police bust ₹381 crore drug lab hidden behind Mysore garage
In a major breakthrough, Mumbai’s Saki Naka police have busted a large-scale mephedrone (MD) manufacturing unit in Mysore, Karnataka, and taken into custody four individuals and seized drugs and raw materials worth ₹381.16 crore.
The illegal operation was being run out of a concealed facility behind a garage on Ring Road in Mysore, according to Indian news agencies.
The investigation was triggered by the arrest of a man on April 24 in the Saki Naka area for attempting to sell mephedrone. This led to further raids in Vasai’s Kaman village, where police recovered 4.053 kg of the synthetic drug and associated materials valued at ₹8.04 crore. The news agencies said several other persons have been taken into custody following subsequent raids at other locations.
One of the accused, Salim Imtiaz Sheikh (45), also known as Salim Langda, revealed during interrogation that the mephedrone was being sourced from a unit in Mysore. Based on this information, the police launched a detailed technical analysis and surveillance operation, which ultimately led them to the hidden factory.
The clandestine manufacturing site was located in a blue-sheet-covered shed behind a garage, designed to evade detection. During the raid, officers seized 188 kg of mephedrone, two ovens, 12 heating machines, and large quantities of chemicals including isopropyl alcohol, acetone, chloroform, and magnesium sulphate — all used in the production of the banned substance.
The accused have been booked under Sections 8(C), 22(C), and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, as well as Section 111 (organized crime syndicate) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is ongoing.
