E-Paper
In joint raid, HP, Punjab Police seize opioids worth ₹30 lakh
A joint team of Punjab Police and their Himachal Pradesh counterparts raided a pharmaceutical factory at Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district and recovered opioids worth ₹30 lakh that were being illegally produced
A joint team of Punjab Police and their Himachal Pradesh counterparts raided a pharmaceutical factory at Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district and recovered opioids worth ₹30 lakh that were being illegally produced.
Factory owner Manish Mohan was arrested.
Also read: India to vaccinate all against Covid-19 by December 2021, says Javadekar
Opioids are a class of drugs naturally found in the opium poppy plant that work in the brain to produce a variety of effects, including pain relief. Synthetic derivatives include heroin, fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone and buprenorphine.
An official release said on Friday that the police team recovered more than 30 lakh intoxicant tablets, including 7.72 lakh Tramadol tablets, 12.45 lakh Tramadol capsules and nearly 10 lakh Alprax (Alprazolam) tablets.
“We have suspended the licence of the firm,” said Sandeep Kaushal, the assistant drug controller at Paonta Sahib.
Four arrests led cops to factory
On May 18, a Punjab Police team led by Mattewal station house officer Lovepreet Singh arrested four accused, Samir Kumar, Suraj Kumar, Gurmukh Singh and Manu Chohan, after a case was registered against them under Sections 22, 29, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The police recovered 50,000 Tramadol tablets from them besides impounding a Maruti Alto K10 car and a motorcycle. Their interrogation led the police to the factory, Unique Pharma, at Paonta Sahib.
During preliminary investigation, the police found that on record the factory had despatched the consignment to Delhi.
The police are investigating how supplies were illegally being made to drug peddlers at Mattewal in Amritsar district.
