New Delhi – A series of police raids and arrests across India in recent days has exposed the alarming scale of uncontrolled drug diversion, where prescription medicines containing Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) are being illegally siphoned off for abuse, smuggling, and black-market sales. From high-value narcotic tablets destined for international waters to cough syrups stockpiled in residential homes, these incidents underscore systemic vulnerabilities in the pharmaceutical supply chain, including lax monitoring, courier exploitation, and unauthorized storage. Experts and law enforcement officials are increasingly advocating for mandatory traceability mechanisms—such as blockchain-enabled tracking or QR-coded serialization—for all NDPS-containing drugs to curb this menace, which fuels addiction epidemics and endangers public health.
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act), designed to combat such trafficking, has been invoked in nearly all these cases, yet the sheer volume and geographic spread of seizures—spanning Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh—reveal enforcement gaps. “Without end-to-end traceability from manufacturer to end-user, these diversions will persist,” said a senior official from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), speaking on condition of anonymity. Common drugs involved include Tramadol, Alprazolam, Pregabalin, Nitrazepam, and codeine-based cough syrups like Corex and Onerex, often diverted from legitimate medical supplies for recreational abuse or resale at inflated prices.
Massive Seizure in Tamil Nadu: Rs 9 Crore Worth Narcotics Bound for Sri Lanka
In one of the largest hauls, Pudukkottai police in Tamil Nadu intercepted four individuals—A Armstrong (33), P Amalraj (37), P Pratap (35), and D Sandhya (36), all from Rameswaram—on February 23, 2026, in the town’s fish market area. They recovered 4.82 lakh Pregabalin and Tanydol tablets, valued at Rs 9.64 crore in the illicit market, hidden in cardboard boxes. The group was awaiting a vehicle to smuggle the consignment to Sri Lanka, providing contradictory statements during questioning. This case exemplifies cross-border diversion, where domestically produced pharmaceuticals are rerouted illegally without traceability, potentially originating from overproduced or stolen batches.
Madhya Pradesh Raids Target Cough Syrup and Pill Networks
Madhya Pradesh has seen multiple busts highlighting home-based diversion. In Shahdol’s Durga Colony on February 21, 2026, police seized 730 bottles (73 liters) of Onerex cough syrup worth Rs 1.5 lakh from Shabnam Bi’s residence. She was arrested and presented in court, while her husband Zakir Hussain (46), son Saif Khan, son-in-law Aamil Khan, and associate Ramesh Jaiswal remain at large. The group illegally procured and resold the syrup at premium prices, violating the NDPS Act and MP Drug Control Act. Similarly, in Mandsaur’s Garoth on an unspecified recent date, two smugglers were nabbed with 4,800 Alprazolam 0.5 mg pills on a motorcycle, intended for supply and adulteration into higher-value MD drugs.
Bihar’s Pre-Holi Drug Hauls Expose Festive Exploitation
Ahead of Holi, Bihar police thwarted large-scale diversions. In Saharsa district on February 22, 2026, six traffickers were arrested with 306.23 grams of cocaine, 568 bottles of banned cough syrup, and 234 narcotic tablets, valued at Rs 4-5 lakh. The consignment, seized from a car and a house in Shankarapur Katho village, was planned for festival distribution, exploiting Bihar’s liquor ban to push “dry” intoxicants. In another Saharsa raid, Virendra Narayan Singh was caught with 2,386 narcotic tablets and 546 Corex bottles hidden at home. In Samastipur’s Vibhutipur, while not directly NDPS-related, police uncovered fake liquor made from homeopathic medicines, illustrating how legitimate pharma products are diverted for illicit brews.
Northern States Grapple with Opioid and Injection Smuggling
In Himachal Pradesh’s Una district, following a February 10, 2026, seizure of 31,800 Tramadol tablets, 3,735 Alprazolam tablets, and 8,000 Pregabalin capsules from a car in Dhusada, police arrested two suppliers—Ashwini Maurya (30) and Vishal Maurya (20)—from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. The drugs were diverted via courier parcels with fake addresses, revealing exploitation of logistics for interstate trafficking under the NDPS Act. In Haryana’s Sirsa, Dilbag Singh was arrested on February 23 with 24,300 banned narcotic tablets stored at his Mattar village home. Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh saw three arrests with 14.8 kg of doda-post and restricted medicines like Pregabalin and Tapentadol, while in Sikar’s Cheepalta, two men were caught with 240 Tramadol capsules without licenses. Uttarakhand’s Manglaur police nabbed Rahul with 19 Tramadol injections, aimed at youth addiction. Punjab’s Gurdaspur jail incident involved inmate Heera Singh smuggling 360 banned pills via external medical supplies.
The Diversion Crisis: From Pharmacies to Black Markets
These cases illustrate common diversion tactics: bulk procurement from wholesalers without prescriptions, repackaging for smuggling, and use of couriers or vehicles to bypass checks. In jails and homes, small-scale storage evades detection, while international angles like the Tamil Nadu-Sri Lanka link show global risks. The NDPS Act provides a legal framework, but enforcement relies on tip-offs, leaving supply chains opaque. “Traceability via digital ledgers could flag anomalies in real-time,” argues Dr. Anita Rao, a public health expert, noting how similar systems have reduced diversions in the US.
As investigations continue—with many accused remanded and networks probed—these busts signal a pressing need for policy reforms. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and NCB must prioritize mandatory tracking for NDPS drugs to prevent such uncontrolled diversions, safeguarding vulnerable populations from the growing shadow economy of pharmaceutical abuse.
Source : DrugsControl Media Services
