New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) More than 5 lakh Tramadol and Alprazolam tablets worth Rs 20 crore have been seized and five persons arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) as it unearthed a syndicate involved in illegally diverting pharma drugs across Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
These seizures and arrests took place as part of three operations that began in May and covered Dehradun and Jaspur (Udham Singh Nagar district) in Uttarakhand and Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly and Saharanpur in western UP, the federal anti-narcotics agency said in a statement on Sunday.
The agency found that a milk vendor from UP had “leased out” his wholesale drug sale licence for Rs 5,000 per month to the syndicate that illegally diverted pharmaceutical and prescription drugs.
“The syndicate included fake wholesalers and misused drug sale licences. Investigation is on to identify and apprehend the mastermind behind the network,” the NCB said.
Local enforcement agencies like police and state anti-narcotics agencies have been sensitised for follow-up action, it said.
The NCB said it has seized about 5 lakh Tramadol and Alprazolam tablets, worth Rs 20 crore, as part of these operations apart from the arrest of five persons.
Tramadol is a synthetic opioid-like drug used as a painkiller. It was declared a “psychotropic substance” by India in 2018 and its sale in the country is regulated and monitored by the NCB.
Alprazolam is a prescription drug which is often misused as recreational drug and for mixing with Toddy, a alcoholic beverage. PTI NES KVK KVK
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