NCB busts int'l network dealing with chemicals used in manufacturing drugs

Guwahati, Aug 16 (IANS) In a major breakthrough, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has successfully dismantled an international network and seized 110.5 kg pseudoephedrine -- a chemical used for manufacturing drugs -- in tablet form, and arrested seven persons from different states, including from Gujarat, officials said on Wednesday.

The network was involved in illegal trade of pseudoephedrine from India to Myanmar.

NCB sources said the bureau’s Guwahati and Imphal units successfully dismantled the internationaltraffickingnetwork of precursors and the seven arrested persons included the key operator of the racket, Md. Abdul Wakil, who's an MBA.

Wakil, a tech-savvy, utilised a business-to-business (B2B) platform for trafficking pseudoephedrine.

He contacted Bhadresh Patel of Recover Healthcare, Ahmedabad, through 'Tradeindia' and procured 1,500 packets of Phifed tablets containing pseudoephedrine HCl for which he used fake authorisation prepared in the name of Elite Medical Store, Aizawl, an NCBstatement said.

The seized 533 packets (110.5 kg) were part of 1,500 packets of pseudoephedrine received by Wakil.

Additionally, two employees of Recover Healthcare, Nitin Kr. Panchal and Anilbhai Nayaka, have been arrested who were entrusted with the task of placing orders for pseudoephedrine and engaging in the fraudulent labeling of the products.

The mastermind behind the diversion of pseudoephedrine has been identified as Bhadresh Patel, the owner of Recover Healthcare, who was also arrested later.

The NCB statement said that based on the information provided by the arrested persons, a probe was carried out against a Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company, which supplied Phifed tablets without any label by using bogus billing. Later, the packets of Phifed tablets were marked and labelled as Citrizine HCl 10 mg (Levocet) which contains non NDPS ingredients.

Harshal Desai and Mehul Desai, director and ex-director of the Gujarat-based pharmaceutical company, were also arrested by the NCB team. Both of them are also facing trial after being booked by the DRI Surat for similar offences.

During raids at various premises, including offices, godowns and residences, the NCB seized several counterfeit labels.

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