Two narcotics smugglers were arrested by the Delhi Police from Uttar Pradesh with contraband substances worth ₹1.55 crore, officials said on Saturday.
Police seized 1.543 kilograms of alprazolam, a pharmaceutical drug prescribed to manage panic and anxiety disorders, which was also recovered from the accused.
According to a senior officer, the accused used alprazolam to chemically enhance the potency of heroin.
The duo, identified as Mahendra Pal (50) and Natthu Khan (60), allegedly sourced alprazolam from Rampur and heroin from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, which they trafficked into Delhi and Punjab.
“To avoid detection, they traveled by public transport and posed as regular commuters while carrying the contraband in their personal belongings. The substances were then sold to local peddlers at transit hubs such as Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh,” the officer added.
Initially, Pal acted as a middleman, supplying alprazolam to heroin manufacturers. Over time, he developed his own network and began supplying chemically altered heroin directly.
During sustained interrogation, Pal revealed that alprazolam was routinely mixed with heroin to boost its strength and market value.
He was apprehended on June 28 from Harijan Basti in Ghazipur.
“From his possession, police confiscated 1.543 kg of alprazolam and 296 grams of heroin. Following his confession, police arrested another key supplier, Khan, from Bareilly on July 11 and recovered 310 grams of heroin from him,” the officer said.
Khan’s brother reportedly held a licensed permit for opium cultivation, which was allegedly being misused for heroin production.
A case has been registered under the relevant sections of the NDPS Act, and further investigation is underway.