ED probes syndicate selling ‘illegal' drug in UP, five more states

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out simultaneous searches in four locations in Uttar Pradesh as part of a crackdown against a module that involves supplying tramadol, whose sale is strictly monitored in the country, to addicts, officials in the agency confirmed, adding two of these locations were in Lucknow.
Several illicit substances and incriminating evidence were seized during the searches by the agency's Jalandhar unit, the officials said. The operation is likely to continue till Wednesday.
A senior ED official said simultaneous searches were carried out at 15 locations in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra as part of the investigation against the module.
Apart from the two locations in Lucknow–an apartment on Jopling Road in Hazratganj and another site in the old city area–the ED also targeted one location each in Muzaffarnagar and Gonda in U.P, both of which are linked to pharma employees and agents, the ED official said. He said the Narcotics Control Bureau was also a part of the operation, which kicked off at 8.30 am, and that more details would be shared with media after the completion of the searches on Wednesday.
Another official explained that this module, spread across multiple states, siphoned tramadol in connivance with employees of pharma firms, wholesale agents and retailers. Tramadol is an opioid pain medication, and has been declared a psychotropic substance by the Union government.
'The excessive use of tramadol can lead to several health complications and even death. This drug cannot be bought without a proper medical prescription, and is sold for illegal consumption at higher prices,' he stated.

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