Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has seized opioid pain-reliever Tramadol worth Rs 40 crore from a warehouse owned by a trader recently arrested for allegedly manufacturing `alprazolam' without a license.
On January 24, the ATS had busted a factory manufacturing alprazolam illegally near Khambhat in Anand district and arrested six persons including Ranjit Dabhi. As much as 107 kg of alprazolam worth Rs 107 crore was seized, according to an official release on Tuesday.
Though originally intended for use as pain medication, the production and sale of Tramadol is regulated strictly as it can be misused as a 'psychotropic' (mind-altering) drug.
During his questioning, Dabhi, who owns a trading firm, allegedly admitted to having stored 500 kg of Tramadol at his godown in an industrial estate near Dholka in Ahmedabad district without any permit.
An ATS team raided the godown on Monday night and recovered 500 kg of Tramadol worth Rs 40 crore.
It is categorised as a psychotropic substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and its unauthorised production or sale is an offence.
The ATS also seized nearly 50,000 packing boxes and six rolls of packing foil, according to the release.
Investigation about the source of the drug was on.
Dabhi and four others had rented a factory near Khambhat town to manufacture alprazolam, a substance used for making sleeping pills, the ATS said.
Ajay Jain, one of the accused, bought it from Dabhi and others and sold it to his clients, it said, adding that nearly 42 crore tablets, each having 0.25 grams of alprazolam, can be manufactured from the seized stock of 107 kg.
