Himachal firm booked for illegal drug trade

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, December 3

In a major breakthrough, the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today arrested Dinesh Bansal, proprietor, M/s Zannet Pharmaceuticals, a licensed company at Baddi, and his manager Sonu Sain for operating a multi-crore illegal drug racket.

Investigation revealed that within two years, Rs 100-crore drugs, including NDPS scheduled drugs, were sent to Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other states, said G Shiva, SP, State Narcotics Crime Control Unit (SNCCU).

The firm first obtained formulations of NDPS drugs from the Narcotics Control Bureau for legal sale, then diverted it for nefarious use.

The trader had a shady past as earlier his wholesale drug licence had been cancelled in Punjab for violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

A team of officials led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Dinesh Sharma raided the office and warehouses at Zirakpur and Baddi. The company has its headquarter at Zirakpur.

While auditing the firm’s transactions, State Drug Controller Navneet Marwaha and his team had found suspicious sales following which they had requested the police to investigate the matter.

Marwaha said, “The firm was under observation for the past about three months after reports of illegal trade had been received. The case was referred to the SNCCU as it involved inter-state trade.”

A case has been registered against M/s Zannet Pharmaceuticals, Baddi, under Sections 8, 21, 22, 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC for cheating and forgery.

“During interrogation, Bansal revealed that he prepared fake bills of selling NDPS drugs, including nitrazapem, codeine and etizolam containing tablets, to a Mandi-based dealer. A preliminary probe, however, revealed that the drug dealer never received the consignments. Bansal used his car to transport the drugs to Rajasthan, Punjab and other states,” said SP G Shiva.

Drugs sent to Pb, R’sthan, UP

Interrogation revealed that the owner prepared fake sale bills and shipped drugs to Punjab, Rajasthan, UP and other states.