Health officials come under scanner for drug trafficking

Wednesday, 16/10/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131016/punjab.htm#2

Chandigarh : The police is probing the role of some officials in the Health Department in four major drug seizures in the recent past. The officials had allegedly facilitated the transportation of banned drugs. The role of the health officials has been traced right from the beginning of the supply chain in Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

Police leads are based on findings from the seizure of synthetic drugs worth Rs 100 crore by the Patiala police from Karnal on Friday. A tip-off for the Karnal seizure had come from earlier recoveries at Banur on June 28, Shambhu on September 18 and Ludhiana on September 19.

Not divulging the names of persons under investigation, Hardyal Mann, Senior Superintendent of Police, Patiala, said: “We have got vitals leads while tracking the call details of those arrested.”

Sources said they had learnt that a bulk of seized medicines had been prepared using dextropropoxyphene, a drug banned through a notification. The seized drugs also contained chemical preparations banned under the NDPS Act. The sources said the drugs could not have entered the state without clearance from drug traffic control officials.

Inspector Bikramjit Brar, head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter, said: “We found that only half of the seized drugs were stamped. On verification, we found that the unstamped drugs contained banned salt. The missing link of unstamped medicines indicates the involvement of insiders.”

“Drugs prepared at certain locations in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan enter the Delhi market before being transported to various districts of Punjab, including Ludhiana, Amritsar and Patiala. A number of chemists stock illegal drugs. This means that drug inspectors are either careless in keeping a check on the menace or are directly involved,” an officer said.

The sources said the ongoing investigation might end up with revealing names of certain influential persons based at Ludhiana and Amritsar, particularly those claiming proximity to top politicians.

The owners of the Karnal unit from where synthetic drugs worth Rs 100 crore were seized, Prithvi Singh Chaudhary and his son Pradip Chaudhary, who are absconding, are also learnt to have “connections in political circles”.

The Nexus

• The officials had allegedly facilitated the transportation of banned drugs
  
• Police leads are based on findings from the seizure of Rs 100 crore synthetic drugs from Karnal recently
  
• Sources said several seized medicines were prepared using dextropropoxyphene, a drug banned through a notification
  
• They said the drugs could not have entered the state without clearance from drug traffic control officials