DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

In a major big blow to illegal pharma opioid supply network, Amritsar Police Commissionerate has unearthed a tramadol supply chain originating from a small recovery of 35 tablets in Amritsar, leading up to a manufacturing unit in Haridwar in Uttrakhand.

The breakthrough came following the investigations into an initial recovery of 35 tramadol tablets and the arrest of a local peddler, Ravinder Singh, alias Nikka, in a first information report (FIR) registered in Amritsar. Probing linkages, the police escalated the recovery to a staggering 74,465 tramadol tablets, 50 alprazolam tablets, and 325 kg of tramadol raw material within just 15 days.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said based on sequential disclosures and raids, six arrests were made, including chemists, distributors, and the plant head of Lucent Biotech Ltd.

Those arrested have been identified as Hari Kishore, Plant Manager with Lucent Biotech Ltd in Roorkee and Bikram, owner-cum-partner of Recall Lifesciences in Roorkee.

Other arrested individuals include Manish Kumar Arora, Pooran Jatav, and Kulwinder Singh, alias Kinda, a medical store owner from Kathunangal.

The DGP said the seized Trakemi 100 tramadol strips bearing "government supply only -- not for sale" indicated illegal diversion of medical stock. Key pharma units found violating norms have been sealed and records are being scrutinised, he said, while adding that further investigation is

in progress.

Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (Amritsar) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said a joint team of Amritsar Police and drug inspectors raided pharma units in Roorkee, seizing 4,130 unlabelled tramadol tablets and 325 kg of unregistered raw material.

This is in addition to the earlier recovery of 70,335 tablets and Rs 7.69 lakh drug money, he said.

Bhullar added that during the questioning of accused, Hari Kishore admitted to printing 'government supply only' on the strips at the manufacturing unit.

The accused has also admitted that the tramadol tablets supply manufactured for another legal firm was sold illegally to the Recall Lifesciences of Roorkee.

(editor@dailyworld.in)