Father, son behind pharma drug cartel held

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 28

In one of the biggest crackdowns on the illegal manufacture-diversion-supply chain of pharmaceutical opioids in the country, the Punjab Police today announced the arrest of Krishan Kumar Arora, alias ‘Clovidol’ Badshah, and his son Gaurav Arora of Neutec Healthcare Pvt Ltd, Narela, Delhi.

DGP Dinkar Gupta said the two were one of the biggest manufacturers and suppliers of pharmaceutical opioids in the country and were illegally supplying/diverting 18-20 crore tablets, capsules and syrups, worth Rs 70-80 crore, across 17 states every month through drug supply gangs, including Mathura and Agra gangs, that were busted recently.

The two were the masterminds of the ‘pharma drug cartel’ that controlled a major share (almost 60-70%) of the illegal trade, he said.

The two were arrested from Rajouri Garden in Delhi yesterday by a team of the Barnala police, comprising Mehal Kalan ASP Dr Pragya Jain and CIA in charge Baljit Singh, under the supervision of SSP Sandeep Goel.

The network began to unravel with the busting of the Mathura and Agra gangs by the Barnala police in February, followed by major seizures and arrests in May and July. As many as 36 persons had been arrested and 73 lakh intoxicant tablets/capsules/ syrups and Rs 2.26 crore seized, across five states so far, said the DGP.

“Sustained investigations led to the unmasking of the linkages of the nexus and further revealed the involvement of various pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, including Neutec Pharmaceutical Pvt Ltd, Narela, Delhi, which is one of the biggest manufacturers of NRx (prescription) drugs, such as Clovidol 100 SR, Trio SR, Simplex C , Simplex , Tridol, Foridol, Prozolam, Alprazolam, etc. These drugs are extensively abused as pharma opioids by drug addicts all over the country,” said Gupta.

Box

Big bust: The modus operandi

* Drugs were allegedly manufactured above sanctioned quota. Front firms were created for wholesale/retail and shut after three months to evade scrutiny

* A network of transporters/couriers supplied consignments, often delivered without bill or with fake invoices of genuine firms. Transporters got 3-4 times the rates

* To evade scrutiny, consignments were marked as ‘carrying surgical equipment’. Neutec Healthcare Pvt Ltd delivered drug consignments through own vehicles as well