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New Delhi, October 19 (IANS) The NCB busted a laboratory manufacturing psychotropic substance Alprazolam and arrested an engineer and a former associate of the Indian Red Cross Society and seized drugs worth Rs 3.44 crore. An official gave this information on Sunday.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said those arrested during the operation on Saturday were identified as Roop Singh Chauhan, 51, a B.Tech graduate from Shri Vaishnav Institute of Management and Science, Indore, and Abhijeet Singh Chauhan, 39, a B.Pharma graduate from Rishiraj College of Pharmacy, Indore, who was earlier associated with the Indian Red Cross Society, Ratlam.
The Indore zonal unit of the federal agency said that, after receiving a tip-off, teams kept a constant vigil at the suspected location near IPCA Laboratory, Village-Sejavta, Mhow-Neemuch Road, Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh) and kept an eye on the activities of smugglers.
It said the operation ended with the seizure of 13.762 kg of Alprazolam, which was worth approximately Rs 3.44 crore in the illicit market.
Alprazolam, regulated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, is a controlled prescription drug that is often abused as a recreational drug. It is also used in toddy adulteration (in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) and heroin adulteration (in Rajasthan, MP and surrounding areas), thereby increasing profit margins, a statement said.
The NCB said that apart from the drugs, they seized laboratory equipment used in the secret manufacturing process, including round-bottom flasks, oil baths, condensers, stirrers and thermometers. Significant quantities of precursor chemicals and solvents were also recovered from the site.
The NCB said the accused Abhijeet Chauhan and Roop Singh Chauhan were partners in pharmaceutical and ayurvedic products ventures.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that both the persons used their pharmaceutical background and facilities to manufacture Alprazolam, a psychoactive substance under the NDPS Act, in violation of legal provisions,” the statement said.
NCB said that they rented the warehouse located on Mhow-Neemuch Road (State Highway-31) for the manufacturing of Alprazolam in January 2025.
–IANS
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