Narcotics Bureau busts international drug racket

Drugs meant for cancer treatment were sold to drug addicts abroad

Officials of Rusan Health Care Private Ltd, the marketing and distribution division of the Mumbai-based Rusan Pharma Ltd, have landed in the dock after the Narcotics Control Bureau seized a stock of over 50,000 injections meant for cancer treatment but were being allegedly supplied to drug addicts in Iran by an organised international gang.

Anilbhai Ashokkumar Bhavsar, regional sales manager of Rusan Health Care Private Ltd (RHCPL) along with Utpal Dinesh Chandra Shah, proprietor of Vallabh Agencies, stockists for Rusan Pharma and Bhavesh Ghelani, have been arrested in Ahmedabad by the NCB.

"We are still not aware of what exactly has happened. We got orders for the drug and supplied them. It is Rusan Health Care Private Ltd that have supplied those drugs," said an official of Rusan Pharma, when contacted. Officials of RHCPL could not be contacted, despite several attempts.

The NCB claims to have busted an international drug racket smuggling buprenorphine injections, and supplying these to drug addicts in Iran. The consignment, NCB says, were sent to Dubai and then to Iran via Pakistan. Buprenorphine, a drug used as painkiller in cancer treatment, is also known to be used by drug addicts.

"A total of 50,000 buprenorphine injections have been seized in an operation carried out by NCB in Ahmedabad and Mumbai on Saturday and Sunday," Ashu Jindal, zonal director, Narcotics Control Bureau, Ahmedabad Zonal Unit told Business Standard.

With these seizure, the NCB has so far seized over 2.2 lakh of such injections costing over Rs 35 lakh of the same company in last one year. Earlier, 72,000 buprenorphine injections were seized in Pakistan which were manufactured by Rusan Health Care Private Ltd (RHCPL), Jindal said.

Recently over 1 lakh such injections manufactured by the same company was caught by the customs officials in Mumbai.

Rusan Health Care Private Ltd is a subsidiary of Rusan Pharma Ltd, with its manufacturing units at Vapi and Ankleshwar in Gujarat and marketing office in Mumbai.

"For procuring these drugs, the three persons had prepared fake documents and rubber stamps which includes a certificate of requirement of such injections from U N Mehta Cancer Institute, Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad," said Jindal.

In connection with the same case, one Mamadbhai and one Gayasuddhin, have also been detained in Mumbai. The entire operation was carried out under supervision of Ashu Jindal, zonal director, Ahmedabad Zone Unit of NCB.