BENGALURU — Karnataka police seized MDMA and other narcotics valued at ₹10.96 crore and arrested six suspects on Thursday, Sep 29, 2026, in a city‑wide anti‑drug operation. The seizure, described as the largest of its kind in the state this year, involved the Anti‑Narcotics Cell, Bengaluru City Police and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
Operation details
The raid began after intelligence inputs indicated a high‑volume MDMA shipment was being stored in a commercial warehouse in the Whitefield area. Officers from the Anti‑Narcotics Cell, acting on a warrant, entered the premises at 09:30 IST and recovered 5.48 kg of MDMA crystal, which officials assessed at a street value of ₹5.48 crore. Additional seizures included 2.3 kg of methamphetamine and assorted precursor chemicals, bringing the total estimated worth to ₹10.96 crore.
Six individuals were taken into custody during the operation. Four were identified as alleged couriers, while the remaining two were suspected of managing the logistics and financing of the network. All six were produced before the Bengaluru Metropolitan Magistrate on Friday, where they were charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, sections 20 and 27.
Legal and procedural background
The NDPS Act mandates a minimum ten‑year imprisonment for possession of MDMA exceeding 1 kg, with a possible life term for trafficking. The police filed an FIR under section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, citing the seizure of a controlled substance and the arrest of persons with alleged links to a larger interstate drug syndicate.
According to the FIR, the seized batch was slated for distribution across multiple Indian states, with preliminary investigations pointing to a supply chain that originated in Southeast Asia. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has opened a parallel probe to trace the source of the precursor chemicals.
Impact on Karnataka’s drug enforcement strategy
The operation aligns with Karnataka’s 2025‑2026 anti‑narcotics action plan, which set a target to increase drug seizures by 30 % over the previous year. The state’s Home Department reported that total drug seizures in 2025‑26 had already risen to ₹45 crore, up from ₹31 crore in the prior fiscal year.
Police officials said the successful raid demonstrated improved inter‑agency coordination and the effectiveness of recent intelligence‑sharing protocols with the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Narcotics Control Bureau.
Reactions from civil society
Local NGOs focused on drug prevention welcomed the crackdown but urged authorities to expand rehabilitation services for users. A spokesperson for the Karnataka Rehabilitation Society noted that “law‑enforcement actions must be complemented by accessible treatment options to address the root causes of drug abuse.”
The Karnataka State Commission for Women also called for a gender‑sensitive approach, highlighting that women are increasingly targeted as couriers in drug networks.
