E-Paper
ED to take over financial probe of drug trafficking cases in Himachal
On May 29, in a joint operation with the Punjab Police, the Himachal police seized over 30 lakh intoxicant tablets in Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur
In the wake of increasing pharma-opioid smuggling from Himachal Pradesh, the police department has decided to the hand over the financial investigation of such cases to the enforcement directorate (ED).
“Information on this subject is being shared with the ED to investigate cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) with the request to attach all properties acquired as a result of proceeds of pharma-opioid trafficking,” said a police spokesperson in a statement issued here on Wednesday.
There are 139 factories having licences to manufacture pharma-opioids/ psychotropic substances, listed in the schedule of NDPS Act, in Himachal Pradesh. A few of them have been found misusing these licences and selling pharma products to illegal markets.
Recently, on May 29/30, in a joint operation with the Punjab Police, the Himachal police seized over 30 lakh intoxicant tablets, including 12.45 lakh tramadol capsules, 7.72 lakh tramadol tablets, 9.99 lakh alprax (alprazolam) tablets worth ₹15 crore from Unique Formulations in Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur.
Probe revealed that their marketing company, PB pharmaceuticals, New Delhi, was fake and non-existent. The Sirmaur police registered another case against Unique Formulations and recovered 745kg of tramadol raw material worth ₹3 crore. One of the accused, who is the main conspirator, has already been arrested and the case is under investigation.
Similarly in 2019, Apple Field Pharma Company, Paonta Sahib, was shut down by the state narcotics cell for unaccounted stock of 47,000 tramadol tablets and 10,000 codeine-based cough syrups. This case stands chargesheeted and is now under trial.
On May 31, 2021, another company Orison Pharma International in Kala Amb of Sirmaur district was found manufacturing tablets containing tramadol which it sold to a marketing company, PP Pharma, located in Ahmadabad, Gujarat. Investigation revealed that Orison Pharma did not have any agreement with the Gujarat firm. Police seized opioid raw material worth ₹3 crore from the firm.
Large-scale operations to address pharma-opioid trafficking have been carried out during the last two months in the state.
