Ludhiana: A local tip-off has cracked open a Punjab-UP pipeline where a failed pharmacist allegedly turned a licensed shop into a launchpad for seven lakh banned tablets — dragging hardware dealers, medical reps and drug inspectors into a widening wake of suspicion.
An investigation into a massive pharmaceutical drug smuggling operation points to a Kanpur resident whose failed dream of running a pharmacy allegedly led him to become the mastermind behind the illegal supply chain of restricted pills. The Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF), Ludhiana unit, has so far arrested six people in the case and recovered 12,900 Alprazolam pills and approximately ₹28.8 lakh in drug money.
The Initial Arrests and Key Suspects
The investigation began on Aug 18 when the ANTF arrested Ramesh Kumar, a hardware shop owner from Ludhiana, in the Shimlapuri area. Officials recovered 12,000 Alprazolam pills from his Honda City car following a tip-off. Ramesh’s interrogation led the police to Rajat, a Kanpur native running a medical store in Ludhiana’s Sukhdev Nagar. A subsequent search of Rajat’s shop on August 20 yielded 900 Trohma – 100 SR (Tramadol Hydrochloride) pills, and Rajat was arrested from Lakhimpur Khiri, Uttar Pradesh.
Rajat then named another UP resident, Mohammad Habib Ansari, who, upon his arrest, revealed that he procured the pills illegally from Lucknow.
Unlicensed Smuggling via Licensed Store
The ANTF probe, led by AIG-ANTF (Ludhiana) Vatsla Gupta, revealed that the massive orders of restricted tablets had originated from Gautam Pharma Medical Store in Kanpur. The store’s owner, Shivam Gautam, was arrested on Sept 15 after a joint search with the Kanpur drug inspector found he could not produce records for the recovered tablets. Shivam’s questioning led to the prime suspect, Mohammad Hasan, a Kanpur resident who is still at large. Both Hasan and Shivam had pursued D Pharmacy. Hasan reportedly failed to clear the course, while Shivam needed money to open his store.
AIG Gupta stated that Hasan lent Shivam ₹80,000 in Sept 2024 to set up his shop. In exchange for writing off the remaining ₹50,000 debt, Shivam allegedly allowed Hasan to use his pharmacy license to place bulk orders for restricted pills. Hasan is accused of ordering approximately 7 lakh restricted tablets.
Further Arrests, ‘Supply Chain’
The ongoing investigation has implicated other figures across the supply chain. Vartika Aggarwal, a medicine retailer and friend of Mohammad Hasan in Kanpur, was arrested after officials recovered ₹28.8 lakh in cash and order letters reportedly made by Hasan from her house. Ajit Singh, the medical representative (MR) of the unnamed UP pharmaceutical company, who was allegedly in frequent contact with Mohammad Hasan, was also arrested.
Ankit Gupta: A close family member of the pharmaceutical company owner from New Delhi’s Pritampura, who unofficially manages the business, has been nominated in the case due to the suspicious role of the pharma company in processing the bulk orders.
The ANTF noted that the Kanpur drug department’s role is also being investigated for negligence, as bulk orders of restricted medicines should have been flagged and verified to ensure they were delivered to the correct recipient. AIG Gupta stressed that the arrest of the alleged kingpin, Mohammad Hasan, is crucial for further recoveries and dismantling the entire nexus.
