New Delhi– In a sweeping escalation of India’s battle against prescription drug abuse and illegal narcotics trafficking, police and drug control agencies across at least eight states raided underground networks over the past week, seizing over 10,000 units of banned substances valued in crores and arresting more than 50 individuals. The coordinated operations, targeting cough syrups laced with codeine, opioid tablets, and narcotic injections, come amid rising concerns over youth addiction and cross-border smuggling, especially as festivals approach.
From the northern hills of Uttarakhand to the eastern plains of Bihar and the southern districts of Telangana, authorities dismantled small-scale peddlers and larger syndicates, often invoking the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Officials attribute the surge in enforcement to heightened intelligence on courier misuse and medical store violations, with one tragic incident in Rajasthan sparking immediate action.
Rajasthan: Tragic Death Triggers Syrup Seizure
In Kota, the suspicious death of 57-year-old Kamla Devi after consuming cough syrup from a local medical store ignited outrage and swift intervention. Family members alleged the syrup, purchased from Trinetr Medical Store in Rangbari, caused severe distress leading to a heart attack. Drug Control Department teams, led by Asstt. Drugs Controller Devendra Garg, raided the store and its wholesale warehouse, seizing over 500 bottles sourced from Ahmedabad. Samples were rushed to labs for toxicity tests, while Anantapura police ordered a forensic postmortem. No arrests yet, but investigations continue to probe potential adulteration.
Bihar and Chhattisgarh: Injection Rings Busted, Suppliers Nabbed
Patna’s Gardanibagh police, in tandem with the Drug Department, raided homes in Anisabad’s Dhirachak and Kankarbagh, arresting dealer Sagar Kumar and recovering 892 buprenorphine-Avil injections worth lakhs, plus ₹36,000 cash and 10 phones. Supplier Shatrughan Rajak remains at large, but City SP Diksha vows more arrests to dismantle the youth-targeted network.
In Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district, Basdei police cracked a major injection cartel under the “Zero Tolerance” policy, arresting five including a woman, a minor, and absconding supplier Shravan Kumar. Raids yielded 300 narcotic injections (Evil and Rexogesic brands) valued at ₹1.5 lakh, plus a motorcycle. The group sourced from Jamdi village for local sales, with the minor presented to the Juvenile Justice Board.
Madhya Pradesh: Codeine Cough Syrup Haul Exposes Interstate Links
Rewa district saw two days of intense action along the Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh border. Sohagi police intercepted a Maruti Ignis car on Sohagi Hill, seizing 1,320 codeine-based cough syrup vials worth ₹6 lakh and arresting Bulbul Raidas from Prayagraj, who confessed to prior deliveries to Ratbara. The next day, Raipur Karchuliyan teams nabbed Rahul Singh—a history-sheeter with murder and loot cases—and Utkarsh Dwivedi, confiscating 2,314 vials (₹4.5 lakh), eight bags, four cartons, and three vehicles (Honda WR-V and Maruti WagonR) totaling ₹12 lakh. One suspect is absconding, hinting at a broader interstate racket.
Telangana: Opioid Tablet Network Dismantled
Nalgonda police, with the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau’s EAGLE Force and Drug Control Administration, busted an illegal sales ring for Spasmo-Proxyvon Plus and Tramadol tablets. Starting with a vehicle check near Munugode Road, they arrested 17 people, including fridge mechanic Md. Zabinulla (a peddler-addict) and supplier Daram Krishna Sai, whose Thorrur medical store license was revoked for flouting prescription rules. Seizures included 2,400 Spasmo-Proxyvon tablets, 345 Ultra King Tramadol strips, two phones, and a motorcycle. Consumers face de-addiction referrals under NDPS Section 64A for immunity.
Uttarakhand and Rajasthan: Pills and Injections Foiled at Checkpoints
In Nainital’s Lalkuan, a joint SOG-police patrol under “Drugs-Free Devbhoomi Mission-2025” stopped a Centro car, nabbing three Uttar Pradesh natives—Sukalen, Mohd. Farman, and Mohd. Kaif—with 350 injections (175 Buprenorphine and 175 Avil vials). They sourced from Bareilly’s Harshit, now targeted under NDPS Section 29; all were remanded to jail.
Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar police, during an anti-smuggling drive in Ramsinghpur, arrested youth Surendra alias Nikka near 68/2 GB with 345 narcotic pills (250 Tapentadol tablets and 95 Pregabalin capsules), filing charges under NDPS.
Assam and Kashmir: Tramadol Tablets and Courier Curbs
In Assam’s Mankachar, police nabbed Jiadul Mia on his Apache motorcycle, seizing 1,440 Tramadol Hydrochloride capsules (plus phone and bags) hidden in carry bags, registering an NDPS case.
Kashmir’s Anantnag administration banned unauthorized courier handling of Schedule H/H1 drugs like Tapentadol (“Pandas”) and Pregabalin, following seizures of thousands of strips from Srinagar and Baramulla hubs over two years—including 190 Tapentadol at Srinagar Airport. No arrests reported, but the order mandates Assistant Drug Controller scrutiny to plug logistics loopholes fueling youth overdoses.
A Unified Front Against the Crisis
Health experts and officials, including Anantnag’s Prof. Yasir Hussain Rather, hail these busts as vital steps toward curbing gateway drugs entering schools and veins. “From syrups to syringes, we’re choking supply chains before they claim more lives,” said a senior NDPS official. With festivals looming, inter-state task forces promise intensified patrols, lab testing of seized items, and rehabilitation drives. Yet, challenges persist: porous borders, online sales, and lax prescription enforcement underscore the need for national reforms, including NDPS inclusion for emerging opioids.
As investigations unfold, these raids signal a resolute push for a drug-free India, but experts warn that without addressing root causes like addiction treatment access, the battle is far from won.
