Dubai firm that ordered Tramadol fake

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 17

The investigation into the diversion of Amritsar-manufactured Tramadol tablets, a pain-killer, to Islamic State militants in Syria has hinted that a Dubai-based supplier firm, which had placed the order, was a fake one.

The order was placed through an e-mail which did not mention the address or phone numbers of the Dubai-based company, the investigation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has found.

“The order was placed to an Amritsar-based exporter who, in turn, got the tablets from two manufacturing companies in the same city. The supplier, however, has failed to furnish any valid document of the order other than an e-mail. We are taking action into the matter,” said Kaustubh Sharma, Zonal Director, NCB.

In the past three months, the Dubai company had placed orders for 24 million and 37 million tablets to be supplied to Libya. But the Italy’s police had intercepted the consignment earlier this month when it was allegedly being diverted mid-sea to ISIS militants in Syria.

As per news reports from Italy and communication to Indian security agencies by US security agencies, the tablets were meant for ISIS militants, who sale it further to generate funds and also consume it. The tablets are famous among militants as a “fighter drug” as it relieves pain and fatigue.

Following a report in The Tribune published on November 6, the NCB and the State Drugs Controller checked documents of the sale and supply of Tramadol to the Dubai-based company and found it just had a copy of the email order.

“We are trying to find out more about the company from Dubai. Meanwhile, action will be taken here,” he said.