New Delhi, Jan 31 (UNI) Delhi Police uncovered an interstate psychotropic drugs racket, arresting three suspects and seizing 31kg of Alprazolam tablets, an official said on Saturday.
Police said the accused were allegedly members of an organised network engaged in the illegal manufacture, transport, and distribution of the banned psychotropic substance across Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and the National Capital Region.
The operation followed intelligence-led surveillance to track drug peddlers operating in the NCR. “Acting on intel received, the team intercepted a car with an Uttar Pradesh registration near Nand Nagri bus depot and arrested two suspects travelling in it,” said Vikram Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).
He said the arrested individuals have been identified as Shamim, a resident of Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, and Rajeev Sharma and Mohit Gupta, both from Bulandshahr.
During the search, police recovered 31kg of Alprazolam tablets, estimated around three lakh pills, classified as a commercial quantity under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Singh, in his statement, further mentioned that the commercial quantity threshold for Alprazolam is 100gm.
Besides the tablets, the team seized 11 kg of aluminum foil printed with ‘Alprazolam’, 25 kg of PVC sheet rolls used for packaging, 20 rubber stamps bearing batch numbers, manufacturing and expiry dates, and the car used for transportation.
Police said the confiscation of packaging material and printing tools pointed to a large-scale illegal pharmaceutical manufacturing operation.
An FIR under relevant sections of the NDPS Act was registered on January 29.
The vehicle was registered in the name of Mohit Gupta, who was arrested at the request of the other suspect.
During sustained interrogation with Sharma, he allegedly told the police that he was working on Gupta’s directions. He collected Alprazolam tablets from Shamim and his associate Randeep in Himachal Pradesh and supplied them to local pharmacies in Bulandshahr.
Shamim allegedly told police that he and his partner were operating an illegal manufacturing unit in Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh, where the tablets were produced and supplied to distributors in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Police said Gupta, who allegedly runs a medical firm in Bulandshahr, told investigators that he procured the illegal tablets through his firm and supplied them to pharmacies in Agra and Bulandshahr.
“Further investigation into this case is ongoing,” said Vikram Singh, DCP (crime).
