Director of Guj-based co held for illegal export of chemical

Director of a Gujarat-based company has been arrested for exporting 400-kg of a chemical to Italy allegedly without taking necessary permissions from the government, an official said Friday.

The Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai police Thursday arrested Deepak Natwarlal Mehta (59), director of Rajkot-based company, Sam Fine O Chem Ltd, the official said.

According to police, the company had dispatched 400-kg of N-Phenethyl-4-Piperidone to an Italy-based company.

Piperidinone is used as an intermediate in the manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceutical drugs such as fentanyl, which a powerful synthetic opioid similar to morphine.

"The Rajkot company was supposed to export the substance with necessary permissions and an NoC from the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN). However, it sent the consignment without the NoC," the official said.

"This had come to light during a probe into the seizure of 100-kg of fentanyl, a highly addictive drug, and the arrest of four persons from Vakola in December 2018," he added.

While probing the source of fentanyl, police found that the substance was manufactured at the Gujarat-based company.

Mehta has been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and further investigation is on, police said.