FPJ Exclusive: ANTF Launches Multi-State Operation To Nab Alleged MD Syndicate Masterminds, Trail Leads From Mumbai To Bengaluru Labs To Rajasthan

Mumbai, Dec 31: The Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has launched an operation in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, to arrest the alleged masterminds of a major mephedrone (MD) manufacturing and distribution syndicate that operated across Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan, officials said.

The action follows the recent dismantling of three illegal MD manufacturing units in Bengaluru, where ANTF teams seized 4.1 kg of MD in solid form and 17 kg in liquid form, totalling 21.4 kg, along with drug-manufacturing machinery and precursor chemicals value of the seized material Rs 55.88 crore.All three laboratories were subsequently dismantled and destroyed.

Investigators said the consignment was intended for supply during New Year’s Eve parties across multiple states.

Based on the interrogation of four accused arrested in Navi Mumbai and Bengaluru, investigators identified Yogendra Kumar alias Yogi and Mohammad Saif Malik, along with their alleged coordinator Nayan Pawar, as the principal operators of the syndicate. Officials said the trio allegedly oversaw MD manufacturing networks across Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan, and coordinated distribution throughout these states.

Sources said the accused primarily operated from Rajasthan, supplying the northern region directly, while setting up a production and logistics base in Bengaluru to facilitate interstate distribution across southern Karnataka and western Maharashtra, including the Mumbai–Pune belt.

The key members of the syndicate are currently absconding, officials said, adding that simultaneous search operations are underway in Rajasthan and other states.

During the investigation, agencies identified Prashant Yallappa Patil, alias “Doctor,” a resident of Belagavi in north Karnataka and a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) graduate, as a key MD manufacturer allegedly linked to the syndicate. Investigations revealed that Patil allegedly used his technical expertise to synthesise banned narcotics by procuring and diverting industrial- pharmaceutical-grade chemical intermediates, including regulated precursor substances meant for legitimate use. These materials were allegedly procured through front companies and shell entities to evade regulatory scrutiny. Procurement of raw materials and manufacturing logistics were handled by absconding mastermind Yogendra Kumar alias Yogi.

According to sources, ‘Doctor’, alias Patil, told the agency during interrogation that he had been associated with Yogi for the past three years and was involved as a partner in the drug trafficking syndicate, with profits shared on a partnership basis. He allegedly stated that on December 8, Yogi visited Bengaluru and, acting on his instructions, Patil also travelled to the city, where a large quantity of MD was allegedly manufactured at a Bengaluru‑based clandestine unit.

Patil further disclosed that, as per Yogi’s directions, industrial‑grade and pharmaceutical‑grade chemical materials were deliberately not stored at a single location to avoid suspicion. Instead, the chemicals were distributed across three MD manufacturing units in Bengaluru, one operating under the cover of an ‘RJ Event’ factory in Spandana Layout Colony, another located in the NG Gollahalli area, and a third functioning from an RCC house in a residential locality in Yerappanahalli. The materials were allegedly pooled only at the time of production.

Search and seizure operations at these locations led to the recovery of MD in multiple physical forms, including light-brown granular or pellet-like solid substances with a pungent odour and a liquid form. Law enforcement agencies also seized specialised laboratory and industrial-grade equipment such as a vertical basket centrifuge, hot-air oven, borosilicate glass bottle machinery, glass chemical reactors and vacuum system pumps.

According to officials, Patil primarily operated from a laboratory in Jodhpur over the past three years and visited the Bengaluru units only intermittently, as directed by Yogi.

Patil’s name surfaced during the investigation after the syndicate came to light with the arrest of a Mumbai-based MD distributor who was allegedly preparing to supply the synthetic drug for several New Year parties organised at farmhouses and luxury bungalows hosting high-profile year-end gatherings. Acting on a specific tip-off, ANTF personnel intercepted Abdul Qadir Rashid Sheikh near the old bus depot on the Pune–Mumbai highway in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, on December 21, and recovered 1.488 kg of mephedrone (MD), valued at Rs 1.48 crore, from his possession.

According to sources, analysis of call data records and interrogation revealed that Sheikh was in regular contact with individuals based in Bangladesh. During questioning, he reportedly stated that some of his relatives reside there, a claim that is being verified as part of the investigation.

Officials said Sheikh has a prior criminal record and had earlier been arrested in narcotics-related cases by the Azad Maidan Anti-Narcotics Cell, the Ghatkopar Anti-Narcotics Cell and Navi Mumbai Police. He is described as a key MD distributor in Maharashtra with alleged links to several other drug syndicates catering to high-profile party circuits in Mumbai.

During the investigation, agencies also identified multiple immovable properties of Sheikh allegedly acquired using proceeds from drug trafficking. These include assets located in north Mumbai, Mankhurd, Sanpada, Taloja, and several chawl units in Panvel.

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Financial analysis indicates that Sheikh operated on a commission-based arrangement within the syndicate, earning a percentage from each consignment, officials said, while manufacturing and procurement operations were controlled by the absconding accused and his associates.

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