Police probe company behind tramadol diversion in Punjab

The Amritsar rural police have made significant progress in investigating the illegal diversion of banned sedative pills, tramadol, after a seizure of 50,500 tablets on January 6 in the Kathunangal area. Two suspects, identified as Manga Singh of Mahal village and Parminder Singh of Guruwali village under Chatiwind police station, were arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt.

The confiscation occurred when the Kathunangal police intercepted an Innova during a naka near Kathunangal drain bridge. Upon spotting the police, one of the vehicle’s occupants attempted to flee with three bags, but the police pursued and apprehended him. The search revealed the banned tramadol tablets.

As part of the investigation, a police team, along with drug inspectors, visited the pharmaceutical firm from where the sedatives originated. The firm presented proper documentation, including purchase orders, e-way bills, and payment receipts, confirming that the drugs were sold to an authorised dealer. SHO Khushboo Sharma of Kathunangal police station stated that the firm’s records showed no irregularities or suspicious activity.

However, further investigation is underway to trace how the medicines were illegally diverted into Punjab’s market for unauthorised sale. The police have identified a pharmaceutical firm in Uttar Pradesh as a possible source of the diversion and are planning raids to gather more evidence.

A police official disclosed that the team is pursuing leads to uncover the network behind the smuggling operation. SHO Khushboo Sharma refrained from sharing additional details to avoid compromising the ongoing investigation.