Anti-drug agency seizes drugs worth Rs 20 crore across UP, Uttarakhand; 5 arrested

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized 5 lakh tablets of Tramadol and Alprazolam, valued at Rs 20 crore, and arrested five people. These actions were taken during investigations into a group that was illegally moving pharmaceutical drugs across parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

According to a statement released on Sunday, the seizures and arrests were made during three operations carried out since May. The operations took place in Dehradun and Jaspur in Uttarakhand, and in Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly and Saharanpur in western Uttar Pradesh.

The NCB found that a milk seller from Uttar Pradesh had rented out his wholesale drug license to the group for Rs 5,000 per month. The agency said the group used fake wholesalers and misused drug sale licenses.

The investigation began on May 12, when NCB conducted a raid at a medical store in Vikasnagar in Dehradun, where officials recovered 594 Tramadol tablets and arrested one individual.

During interrogation, the arrested person revealed further details about the network, leading the NCB to identify additional individuals involved in the operation. As the investigation progressed, both a supplier and a peddler were subsequently traced and taken into custody.

The NCB found that two medical firms, M/s S.M. Enterprises in Muzaffarnagar and M/s Balaji in Bareilly, were used to buy and sell drugs without proper documents.

Acting on further information, the NCB raided a warehouse where officers recovered 4,74,480 Tramadol tablets and 24,000 Alprazolam tablets stored without authorisation.

Additionally, on July 25, the NCB arrested a man named Upendra Pal from the Gagalhedi area of Saharanpur and recovered 954 Tramadol tablets and 720 Alprazolam tablets from his possession.

On August 1, 2025, NCB officers intercepted a man in the Jaspur area of Uttarakhand who was driving a Swift Dzire car bearing registration number UK18K5493, and upon searching the vehicle, they recovered 25,600 Tramadol tablets, which were later traced back to the same firm based in Bareilly.

According to the NCB, the drug network operated through the use of fake wholesalers and the misuse of drug sale licenses to divert pharmaceutical drugs to various locations, and efforts are currently underway to identify and apprehend the main individual behind the operation.

Tramadol is a drug used to treat pain. Since 2018, it has been listed as a psychotropic substance in India, and its sale is monitored by the NCB.

Alprazolam is a prescription drug that is sometimes misused for recreational purposes or mixed with local alcoholic drinks like toddy.

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