DRI arrests 5, seizes 100 kgs of Alprazolam

Based on a specific input, simultaneous raids were conducted by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Pattancheru in Medak district, Telangana, and they end up seizing 100 kilograms of Alprazolam, a banned product under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS), in a factory located in Visakhapatnam. In this connection five persons were arrested on Thursday.

Kingpin Chand Pasha, a resident of Pattancheru, from last few days has been manufacturing Alprazolam with the support of a technical expert David and three others by taking lease of manufacturing unit JN Pharmacity, Parawada in Visakhapatnam. The worth of drug is Rs 2.52 crore.

Pasha, who has been evading DRI and few other agencies for his role in few previous busted cases of manufacturing, was nabbed in Visakhapatnam along with the banned drug. On questioning him, he disclosed his name as Chand Pasha and based on given details, raids were coducted on this residence in Medak district along with his technical expert David, who also hails from the same district.

The accused keep changing their place manufacturing and they produce this banned drug only from a premises, which they take it



on lease. One of the accused Sai Krishna, who is a resident of Visakhapatnam, for helping the kingpin in arranging the premises on lease at Parawada for just few days charged Rs 14 lakh. After the manufacturing of the drug, it will be supplied for toddy manufactures and this will affect the health of those who use it.

"A quantity of about 100 kilograms of Alprazolam, having market value of Rs 2.52 crore, was recovered from the factory and was seized under NDPS Act. Apart from this, 330 liters of raw material and around 62 kilograms of in-process material was also seized,'' Additional Director General (DRI) MK Singh said in a press release.

In the sale of Alprazolam there will be huge profit margin and the accused are selling a kilogram for Rs 2.5 lakh. David, who has pharmaceutical background, has been sharing his knowledge about preparation of the this illicit drug to persons like Pasha. David was arrested from his resident in Pattancheru as he returned to Hyderabad after puting the manufacturing process in place at Visakhapatnam.

It is learnt that Indian Air Force (IAF) officials met Narcotic Control Bureau sleuths in the back drop of the arrest of G Rajasekhar Reddy, wing commander of IAF.