Lucknow : An online drug supplier, operating from the bustling and densely populated Khadra locality in Lucknow, has come under the scrutiny of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai unit. The NCB team conducted a search operation in the area to locate the supplier.
Senior officials involved in the investigation revealed that the role of a Lucknow-based online drug supplier came to light while tracing the origins of a significant consignment of Tramadol tablets recently confiscated in Mumbai. The Mumbai team discovered that the parcel containing Tramadol tablets had been dispatched from an address located in the Khadra locality of Lucknow.
According to officials, the Mumbai NCB team collaborated with their counterparts in Lucknow to conduct a thorough search operation within the narrow and bustling lanes of Khadra locality. However, their efforts to trace the supplier couldn’t bear desired results due to the complex geography of the area.
“Despite the joint efforts of the Mumbai team, the Lucknow NCB sleuths, and local law enforcement, the search proved unfruitful. The intricate network of narrow lanes in Khadra locality, coupled with the absence of a precise address and identity, made it exceptionally challenging to locate the individual,” said an official closely associated with the operation.
The official further said that Khadra’s maze-like layout, with its crisscrossing narrow lanes, can even baffle frequent visitors trying to find specific residences. Moreover, Khadra is predominantly inhabited by the Muslim community, with a majority being from the lower-income segment.
It’s worth noting that the NCB recently seized a consignment of 1.2 kg (equivalent to 3,840 tablets) of Tramadol in Mumbai. Tramadol is a controlled substance primarily used to manage pain. This opioid agonist medication is available in tablet or capsule form and has the potential to lead to opioid addiction, misuse, and abuse, eventually leading to overdose and fatalities.
In a related incident earlier this year, on January 14, the U.P. Special Task Force had exposed a racket involved in smuggling prohibited medicines to the United States from India. The racket involved receiving orders from international clients through various channels like WhatsApp, Skype, and the Dark Web. The task force seized a significant number of Tramadol tablets and Lupin-10 Zolpidem tablets—22,850 and 17,880 tablets respectively. The culprits, three in number, were apprehended from Durgapuri locality in the Nilmatha area, falling under the jurisdiction of the Cantt police station. These illicit medicines were concealed within packaging of herbal and ayurvedic medicines.
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