Delhi Raid Uncovers Illegal Tramadol, Codeine Trade, 2 Chemists Held Under NDPS Act
New Delhi: In a significant crackdown on the illegal distribution of controlled medicines, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has unearthed an unauthorized medicine supply racket in west Delhi and arrested two chemists for allegedly stocking and selling restricted pharmaceutical drugs without valid documentation.
Acting on specific intelligence, the Crime Branch, along with officials from the State Drug Controller, conducted a raid at a medical store in Paschim Vihar. During the search, authorities recovered 3,360 capsules of Tramadol weighing approximately 2 kilograms and 84 bottles of Codeine Phosphate syrup of 100 ml each, amounting to nearly 8.4 liters.
Both medicines fall under regulated categories under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and require proper prescriptions and documentation for sale and distribution.
The first accused, Vinay Malhotra (47), owner of Shivam Medicos in Paschim Vihar, allegedly failed to produce valid purchase bills, prescriptions, or records for the seized medicines. Following the recovery, an FIR was registered under the NDPS Act at the Crime Branch police station, and Malhotra was taken into custody.
During interrogation, Malhotra reportedly disclosed that he had sourced the restricted medicines from another chemist, Chandan Bansal (40), proprietor of Aggarwal Mediplus in Raghubir Nagar. Bansal, who has been associated with the pharmaceutical trade for nearly 15 years and resides in Vishnu Garden, was subsequently arrested.
Investigations revealed that the supply of controlled medicines was allegedly carried out without proper requisition forms or legitimate financial documentation. Police also found that several firms whose names appeared in related transactions denied having any dealings with Bansal, raising suspicions of fabricated records and diversion of controlled drugs into the illegal market.
According to a recent media report by The Times of India, the arrests are part of an ongoing effort by the Delhi Police to curb the unlawful circulation of regulated medicines and prevent misuse of pharmaceutical drugs.
Both accused are currently in police custody, and further investigation is underway to determine the scale of the network and identify any additional individuals involved.
