NCB steps in as Bengaluru police plan crackdown; joint operation busts major drug network

Bengaluru: The discovery of a drug manufacturing and storage 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 exposure of a large interstate drug network.

Police sources said the Bengaluru police had already begun groundwork after receiving intelligence inputs that a Maharashtra-based drug racket was attempting to expand operations into Karnataka. During this period, Maharashtra ANTF and NCB officials were in touch with city police and had informed them about their plan to launch a coordinated strike.

According to central intelligence agencies, the syndicate planned to stockpile narcotics and distribute them along the jurisdictional borders of the Bengaluru East and Kothanur police stations. To evade detection, the gang frequently shifted its base across states. Recently, it had moved operations to newly added areas under the Bengaluru police commissionerate, assuming reduced police surveillance.

Investigators said that once the traffickers realised that police were closing in, part of the consignment — including MDMA and other narcotics — was shifted to a rented house in Avalahalli. As the Whitefield sub-division police were preparing to raid the premises, teams from Maharashtra ANTF and the NCB arrived, resulting in a successful joint operation with the Bengaluru police.

Bengaluru police played a key role

During interrogation, police found that drugs were being distributed under the guise of private parties and events in the city. Officials said the traffickers had only recently shifted their base to Karnataka. Maharashtra ANTF and NCB officers acknowledged that extensive groundwork and surveillance by the Bengaluru police were crucial to the success of the operation.

Those arrested in connection with the drug factory are from outside Karnataka, and the NCB has intensified efforts to trace the source of the narcotics and the larger supply chain.

Police said discreet surveillance had been stepped up across the city, especially ahead of New Year celebrations, a period typically marked by increased drug activity. Officials said the timely action and coordinated strategy helped dismantle the network before it could fully establish operations in the city.

While the NCB’s entry drew attention due to its central role, sources said the operation was the result of sustained intelligence gathering and planning by the Bengaluru police.