Chemists in Amritsar go underground

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 14

Days after busting an illegal unit involved in the manufacture of tramadol tablets, the police have tightened the noose around several medical store owners in Katra Sher Singh area here.

Some shopkeepers have gone underground following raids by teams of the Amritsar rural police which have reportedly arrested one person, though the police authorities were tight-lipped over his arrest. It has been learnt that the man was brought on police remand and whose interrogation was underway.

On May 28, the police had nabbed factory owner Manish Mohan and two others following a raid conducted at an illegal tramadol manufacturing unit in Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur. The police had confiscated illegal drugs worth Rs 15 crore from the factory.

The firm was zeroed in following the seizure of 50,000 tramadol capsules by the Mattewal police on May 18. The police had nabbed three drug peddlers, identified as Samir Kumar and Suraj Kumar of Majitha Road and Gurmukh Singh of Mallunangal village. The bills were issued in the name of HR Enterprises. However, the probe found that the firm did not exist. Several persons from Chandigarh and Mohali had mediated in the delivery of the drug consignment and they were being identified, according to the police.

The police have also brought Prem Kumar Jha, a medical store owner, on production warrant from Kurukshetra, Haryana. Jha used to run a medical store in the name of Mansi Medicos in Mayur Vihar in Delhi from where tramadol was smuggled into different parts of Punjab and Haryana, besides Delhi.

Following the seizure from Paonta Sahib, the Amritsar (rural) police raided in Delhi where they came to know about Jha’s arrest by the Haryana Police in a similar case.

Case in a nutshell

• On May 28, factory owner Manish Mohan and two others were nabbed during a raid conducted at an illegal tramadol manufacturing unit in Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur, HP. The police confiscated illegal drugs worth Rs15 crore from the factory. It was zeroed in following the seizure of 50,000 tramadol capsules by the Mattewal police on May 18. The police had nabbed three drug peddlers. The bills were issued in the name of HR Enterprises, which during probe was found out that does not exist. Several persons from Chandigarh and Mohali mediated in the delivery of the consignment and they are being identified
• The police have also brought Prem Kumar Jha, a medical store owner, on production warrant from Kurukshetra, Haryana. Jha used to run a medical store in the name of Mansi Medicos in Mayur Vihar in Delhi (see pic) from where tramadol was smuggled into different parts of Punjab, Haryana & Delhi
• Following the seizure from Paonta Sahib, the Amritsar (rural) police raided in Delhi where they came to know about Jha's arrest by the Haryana Police in a similar case