Maharashtra's Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) is investigating several Mumbai-based pharmaceutical firms suspected of diverting chemicals for mephedrone (MD) manufacturing. The probe is part of a larger operation that seized 4.1 kg of solid and 17 kg of liquid MD, valued at Rs 55 crore, along with precursors from three illegal labs in Bengaluru. The ANTF is examining how regulated chemicals, legally manufactured for pharmaceutical use, may have been siphoned off to clandestine labs. Financial transactions linked to the syndicate are also under scrutiny.