DRI busts mephedrone factory in Satara, seizes drugs worth Rs 55 crore
Mumbai (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has dismantled a mobile mephedrone manufacturing unit in Maharashtra’s Satara district, seized drugs worth Rs 55 crore and arrested five persons, officials said.
Acting on inputs, DRI officials conducted ‘Operation Sahyadri Checkmate’ on Friday in a remote village in the Karad tehsil, an official said on Sunday.
Teams from the country’s premier anti-smuggling agency carried out a raid and unearthed a fully operational laboratory, equipped for mephedrone production, camouflaged as a poultry farm. The unit was frequently shifting locations to evade detection, officials said.
The seizure included 11.848 kg of the drug in liquid form, 9.326 kg in semi-liquid form and 738 grams in crystalline form, along with 71.5 kg of raw material capable of yielding another 15 kg of mepehdrone, collectively worth about Rs 55 crore, the official said.
Mephedrone is a synthetic stimulant and is commonly described as a party drug. It carries serious health risks.
Three persons, including the manufacturer or “cook”, the “financer-consigner”, and the poultry farm owner, were apprehended at the spot, an official said, adding that the first batch of the contraband had been hidden at the farm owner’s residence.
In a follow-up operation, DRI officials nabbed two more persons, en route to collect the final product, near an old octroi toll naka in a densely forested area, he said.
Of the five accused, four had prior arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act or prosecution under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act), the official said.
This is the second raid on a drug manufacturing unit in Satara district in the last two months. Last month, the Mumbai Crime Branch conducted a raid at Jawali and busted a clandestine drug manufacturing unit.
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KMES Institutions shine in SSLC result, continue four-decade legacy of education in rural Karkala
Karkala: KMES Institutions of Education at Kukkundooru in Karkala taluk has recorded outstanding results in the 2025-26 SSLC and PUC examinations, continuing a four-decade educational journey that began with just 22 kindergarten students and no building of its own.
The institution secured a 100 per cent result in the SSLC examinations, with all 43 students passing the examination this year.
Muhammad Arman Shahid emerged as the school topper by scoring 619 marks out of 625, securing 99 per cent and also ranking sixth at the state level. He scored full marks in Kannada, Hindi, Mathematics and Social Science.
Krithika V. Nayak secured the second position in the school with 607 marks and 97.12 per cent, while Arhan stood third with 605 marks and 96.8 per cent.
Out of the 43 students, 21 passed with distinction, 19 secured first class, two students obtained second class and one student passed in third class. Fourteen students scored above 90 per cent.
The institution also performed strongly in the PUC examinations. The Science stream recorded a 100 per cent result, with all 44 students passing, while Commerce secured a 98 per cent pass percentage.
Twelve students scored full marks in different subjects, including Mathematics.
In Commerce, Deeksha Acharya topped the college with 588 marks, while Harshitha H. Kini secured the second position with 581 marks.
In Science, Naveen B. Nayak emerged as topper with 586 marks, followed closely by Sameeksha Moily and Aifa Nidha, who both secured 585 marks.
Speaking about the achievement, High School head teacher Shrimati Patkar said the institution has always focused on supporting academically weak students through affordable education and free special classes.
“Our ambition is to provide quality education even to students who struggle in studies. The fees are very low, and free coaching classes are conducted. I have worked here for 28 years and have always found the atmosphere supportive of education,” she said.
Primary School head teacher Lolita Zeena D’Silva appreciated the dedication of the teaching staff and said the school encourages students not only to achieve high marks but also to become role models.
PU College Principal Balakrishna Rao said the institution focuses on value-based education and overall personality development.
“The aim is to help students succeed not only academically but also in cultural activities, sports and leadership. We encourage qualities such as patience, tolerance and discipline,” he said.
Rao also credited the institution’s growth to the support of founders K.S. Mohammed Masood and K.S. Nissar Ahmed, along with President K.S. Imtiaz Ahmed.
Speaking on the occasion, Imtiaz Ahmed said the institution was built on the dream of making quality education accessible to financially backward families in rural areas.
He said the guidance and encouragement of his elder brothers, Mohammed Masood and Nissar Ahmed, along with the contribution of teachers, students and parents, helped transform the institution into a model educational centre.
The KMES Institutions trace their roots back to 1984, when they were founded by senior social activists Haji P.M. Khan, K.S. Nazeer Ahmed and Haji A.S. Rashid Haider.
The institution initially functioned from the Government Urdu School premises as it did not have a building of its own. Classes began with only 22 students in lower kindergarten and two teachers.
Later, under the leadership of K.S. Mohammed Masood and with continuous financial and moral support from non-resident businessman K.S. Nissar Ahmed, the institution gradually expanded.
In 1993, the school shifted to its own building and began conducting classes from LKG to Class 5.
As student admissions increased, Nissar Ahmed personally funded the construction of three additional classrooms to address infrastructure shortages.
The institution’s new school building was completed in 1997, while the PU College building was constructed in 2001.
From humble beginnings in a borrowed building to producing state-level rank holders and consistent academic results, the KMES Institutions have grown into one of the prominent educational centres in the Karkala region.
