Bengaluru: The detection of a drug manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Bengaluru has triggered nationwide attention, with a coordinated operation by the Bengaluru police, Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) leading to the unearthing of a major interstate drug network.
Sources said the Bengaluru police had begun preparations for a large-scale crackdown after receiving intelligence inputs that a Maharashtra-based drug syndicate was expanding its operations into Karnataka. During this period, officials of the Maharashtra ANTF and the NCB held discussions with the city police, with the central agency informing local authorities about its plan to conduct a raid.
According to intelligence agencies, the syndicate was planning to stockpile and distribute drugs along the jurisdictional limits of the Bengaluru East and Kothanur police stations. To evade law enforcement, the gang frequently shifted bases across states. In recent weeks, it had relocated operations to newly added areas under the Bengaluru police commissionerate, believing these zones had relatively lower police surveillance.
Police said the traffickers had moved MDMA and other narcotics to a rented house in Avalahalli. Acting on specific inputs, the Whitefield sub-division police were preparing to raid the premises when Maharashtra ANTF and NCB teams entered the scene, resulting in a coordinated and successful joint operation.
During interrogation, investigators found that drugs were allegedly being sold under the guise of private parties and events in the city. Officials said the accused arrested in connection with the racket are from outside Karnataka, and efforts are under way to trace the source and wider links of the network.
Senior officers said sustained surveillance by the Bengaluru police, especially ahead of New Year celebrations when drug circulation peaks, played a crucial role in disrupting the syndicate. Maharashtra ANTF and NCB officials acknowledged that groundwork by the city police was key to the success of the operation.
With the NCB now spearheading the probe, authorities believe the crackdown has dealt a significant blow to interstate drug trafficking targeting Bengaluru.
