NCB seizes 5 lakh tablets, arrests 5 in major crackdown
Fake pharma ring exposed, crores in drugs illegally diverted.
In a dramatic multi-state operation, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted a pharmaceutical drug trafficking syndicate operating across Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, seizing over five lakh banned tablets and arresting five suspects. The seized drugs, worth around ₹20 crore, included Tramadol and Alprazolam—both of which are controlled substances often misused as recreational drugs.
According to an official NCB statement on Sunday, the syndicate cleverly misused pharmaceutical sale licenses to divert prescription drugs into the black market. Shockingly, one such license was traced to a milk vendor from Uttar Pradesh, who had allegedly “leased out” his wholesale drug sale license for just ₹5,000 per month.
The crackdown unfolded through three coordinated operations launched in May, spanning Dehradun and Jaspur in Uttarakhand and Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly, and Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh. Authorities discovered that the gang posed as fake wholesalers and exploited the medical supply chain to distribute narcotics disguised as legitimate pharmaceuticals.
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Tramadol, a synthetic opioid declared a psychotropic substance in 2018, is regulated under Indian law, while Alprazolam is a sedative often misused with alcohol, particularly toddy. Both drugs are popular among illegal distributors due to their addictive potential and high demand.
The NCB is now tracking down the mastermind of the network and has alerted local law enforcement for further follow-up. Officials emphasized that more arrests are likely as the investigation expands across the region.
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