In a major blow to the illegal pharma opioid supply network, the Amritsar Police Commissionerate unearthed a Tramadol supply chain as part of the ongoing war against drugs in the state.
Originated from a small recovery of 35 tablets in Amritsar, the Tramadol supply chain traced to a manufacturing unit in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
The breakthrough came after a meticulous investigation into the initial recovery and arrest of local peddler Ravinder Singh alias Nikka, in an FIR registered at Police Station A-Division, Amritsar.
Through backward and forward linkages, the police escalated the recovery to a staggering 74,465 Tramadol tablets, 50 Alprazolam tablets, and 325 kg of Tramadol raw material—all within just 15 days.
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said based on sequential disclosures and raids, six arrests were made, including chemists, distributors, and the plant head of Lucent Biotech Ltd.
Those arrested in the case include Hari Kishore, Plant Manager of Lucent Biotech Ltd, Roorkee, and Bikram, owner-cum-partner of Recall Lifesciences, Roorkee. Other arrested individuals are Manish Kumar Arora, Pooran Jatav, and Kulwinder Singh alias Kinda, a medical store owner from Kathunangal.
The DGP expressed grave concern over the seizure of ‘TRAKEMi-100’ Tramadol strips bearing the label “Government Supply Only – Not for Sale,” indicating illegal diversion of government medical stock.
He added that key pharma units found violating norms have been sealed, and their records are under scrutiny. Further investigation is underway.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, shared that a joint team of Amritsar Police and drug inspectors raided pharmaceutical units in Roorkee, Haridwar, seizing 4,130 unlabelled Tramadol tablets and 325 kg of unregistered raw material. This is in addition to the earlier recovery of 70,335 tablets and ₹7.69 lakh in drug money.
During interrogation, accused Hari Kishore admitted to printing “Government Supply Only – Not for Sale” on the ‘TRAKEMi-100’ Tramadol tablet strips at the manufacturing unit. He also confessed to having destroyed the stamp. He further admitted that Tramadol tablets, manufactured for another legal firm, were illegally sold to Recall Lifesciences of Roorkee.
The CP said more individuals involved in this pharma opioid supply network have been identified and raids are on to apprehend them.
An FIR has been registered in the case on July 16-7 under the NDPS Act of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station A-Division, Amritsar.