DRI raids chemical factories, four held

In one of the biggest seizures the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence raided three factories across the country and seized about 770 kilograms of sedatives. Four people were arrested in the case.

Confirming the raids senior DRI officials told MID DAY that it was a joint operation carried out by sleuths attached to DRI Mumbai, Central Excise, Aurnagabad, Customs, Pune and Central Excise, Belgaum.

The factories raided were identified as Frontier Remedies in Aurangabad, Sara Chemicals in Chipuln and ABC Industries in Bellari, Karanataka. The companies were in the process of manufacturing alprazolam and diazepam, both sedatives.

Those arrested were identified as Pola Vishwanthan, a resident of Bellary who is also the proprietor of ABC industries. Preliminary inquiry revealed that he was into buying and stocking of alprazolam and diazepam.

Others arrested have been identified as Dr P Narayan, holding a doctorate in Chemicals from Ahmedabad University. Narayan was into manufacturing of alprazolam and diazepam at his Frontier Remedies factory in Aurangabad. Rahul Shedge, a Chemical Engineer residing in Bhandup, Mumbai, was the purchaser of the drugs from Narayan and even distributed the same.

The fourth person, Riyaz Memon, a resident of Khargar, Navi Mumbai, is the owner of Sara Chemicals in Chiplun, where he allegedly carried out the adulteration of the drugs in order to increase the quantity before it was sold in the open market.

Inquires also revealed that the said drugs were targeted keeping in mind the Indian customers and was not meant for exports. The said sedatives are used to manufacture country liquor. The market price of these sedatives is approximately Rs 1 lakh per kilogram. The DRI will also probe if the said sedatives were ever used for rave parties.

Also another 8,000 kilograms of unidentified chemicals have been seized from the factories and only after the forensic reports can confirm if these chemicals are also sedatives.

Meanwhile, all the factories have been sealed and those arrested have been produced before the local courts in respective cities, which sent the accused to judicial custody. The accused have been booked under various Sections of NDPS Act.