Ferozepur admn seals 6 medical stores after 4 drug-linked deaths

Swinging into action following the death of four alleged “drug addicts” at Lakho Ke Behram village in Ferozepur district, the Health Department on Friday conducted raids at pharmacy stores, which continued till late evening.

The department sealed six medical stores, besides confiscating a large amount of psychotropic drugs.Ferozepur DC Deepshikha Sharma said the raids would be conducted in near future as well.

According to information, officials of the Health Department sealed five pharmacy outlets — Tanu Medicos, Guru Nanak Tera Tera Medical Store, Sukhraj Medical Store, Satnam Medical Store and Parmeet Medical Store — at Lakho Ke Behram. The DC said a large amount of dicylomine and olanzaprine pills were seized during the raid.

Later, a team of health officials conducted raid at Khurana Medical Agency in the Multani Gate area and seized 35,200 tablets of tapentadol and 4,400 capsules of pregabalin. Health officials said that the firm was not authorised to stock these drugs.

Sharma said she had directed officials concerned to check licence of all 994 chemist shops in the district and ensure they were not stocking or selling any kind of banned or illegal drugs.

In the past nine months, 207 chemist shops had been raided and drugs worth Rs 1.32 crore were confiscated, added the DC. “Licence of 12 chemists have been cancelled,” she said.

SSP Bhupinder Singh said they had seized 210-kg heroin and Rs 87.48 lakh drug money in the past six months.

2 held with 3 kg heroin, Rs 1.9L drug money

The Ferozepur police have held two drug smugglers and seized 3.06 kg heroin, Rs 1.90 lakh drug money and 26 SIM cards from their possession.

Ferozepur SSP Bhupinder Singh said the sleuths belonging to the Crime Investigation Agency nabbed Kuldeep Singh of Kilche village near Kunde village. He said 1.45 kg heroin was seized from him and he had been booked under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act at the Sadar police station.

In another incident, Swaran Singh resident of Peer Ismail Khan village was nabbed with 1.61 kg heroin, Rs 1.90 lakh drug money and 26 SIM cards. “Acting on a tip-off, a naka was laid near Khai Pheme ke village to nab Swaran,” said the SSP.