AMRITSAR, July 31 — In a major breakthrough against pharmaceutical drug trafficking, Amritsar police have dismantled a widespread opioid supply network, arresting six individuals — including chemists, distributors, and a plant head — and seizing a large consignment of Tramadol tablets from a manufacturing unit in Uttarakhand.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav announced the development in a post on X, stating that a recent small recovery of just 35 Tramadol tablets in Amritsar triggered the investigation. “Based on sequential disclosures and raids, 6 arrests were made including chemists, distributors, and the plant head of Lucent Biotech Ltd,” he wrote.
Following leads, Amritsar police teams conducted raids in Haridwar, where they uncovered a massive cache of opioid pharmaceuticals: more than 70,000 Tramadol tablets, 325 kg of raw Tramadol, and ₹7.65 lakh in alleged drug proceeds.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said several of the recovered Tramadol strips were stamped “Government Supply Only – Not for Sale,” indicating possible misuse and diversion of government medical stock. “This raises serious questions about the monitoring of pharmaceutical channels,” he added.
Police said pharmaceutical units found violating norms have been sealed, and all relevant company records are under examination. Authorities are probing the extent of the network and whether more pharmaceutical firms are involved.
The operation marks one of the biggest pharma-related opioid busts in Punjab in recent times, and officials confirmed that further arrests are likely as the investigation widens.
