Shocking details have emerged in the investigation conducted by the Sakinaka Police into the ₹434 crore drug factory recently busted in Mysuru, Karnataka. A crucial revelation has surfaced regarding the use of a coded communication system by the accused to transport MD drugs from Karnataka to Maharashtra. According to police, the accused used the codeword "shirt photo" to coordinate deliveries.
Police sources said the factory was being operated by two separate groups — one responsible for manufacturing the drugs and the other for distribution. Notably, members of these two groups did not know each other, a tactic used deliberately to maintain secrecy and reduce risk.
After the MD drugs were manufactured at the factory, a member of a Mumbai-based gang would travel to Bengaluru by bus, while a counterpart from Mysuru would also travel to Bengaluru with the drugs. To establish identity, the Mumbai-based receiver would send a photo of his shirt via WhatsApp to the courier. Upon matching the shirt, the Mysuru courier would hand over the drugs, and the Mumbai gang member would return to the city with the consignment by bus.
Once in Mumbai, the drugs were distributed across the city through a network of local dealers. Interestingly, this mode of operation is reportedly similar to the Bishnoi gang's method of arms supply, where identification was also done using shirt photos without the operatives ever knowing each other’s real identity.
Investigations further revealed that the drugs were transported entirely by road, with Mumbai-based operatives travelling to Bengaluru each time to collect the consignment.
Following the crackdown, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) launched a parallel and in-depth probe. On Monday, IB officers reportedly interrogated the arrested accused for several hours.
Sources in the IB suspect that the busted drug factory could be part of a larger international racket, and the possible involvement of underworld networks cannot be ruled out. The IB has since expanded the scope of its investigation, and more links in the chain are likely to emerge in the coming days.