Drug seizure: Police summon pharma company's directors

Police today summoned directors of the pharmaceutical company, from whose godown ephedrine drug worth Rs 2,000 crore was seized last week, and claimed to have identified the man linked to the firm who was allegedly operating a drug trafficking racket.
Talking to reporters here, Thane Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said the directors of Avon Life Sciences company, have been called for questioning with respect to the seizure of 18.5 tonnes of ephedrine from their factory at Chincholi in Solapur, around 400km from here, late last week.
However, Singh did not disclose the dates of their appearance for questioning.
Police have claimed that the confiscated recreational drug is worth Rs 2,000 crore in the international market. Thane's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) raided the factory after arresting a Nigerian from the city on April 10 with 500 grams of ephedrine.

Five persons, including the factory's manager, were arrested in connection with the illegal stocking of ephedrine, used for sniffing and also to manufacture mephedrone powder, a party drug.
Singh said a man identified as Punit, was specifically brought in by the management to run the drug trafficking racket from the factory.

Punit played the main role in the entire racket and was assisted by two others-Kishore Rathod and Jai Mukhi. All three are absconding and a search has been launched for them, the police officer said.
Punit and Kishore had links in foreign countries and carried the drug from Solapur to Ahmedabad and after processing, sent it out of India, he said.

The trio had made more than 30 trips abroad in the last one year, Singh said.
The IPS officer said more than 10 tonnes of the drug were found to have been concealed behind the factory.
In reply to a question, he said police had definite information that the firm's management had specifically appointed Punit in the factory. Hence, it can be said the management had a role in the racket.
However, the extent of their involvement will be known only after the arrest of Punit and others, he said.
"We have alerted the airports and authorities at other exit routes to prevent the trio's escape from the country," the Thane police chief said.

Avon had yesterday denied any wrongdoing and claimed it has valid licences and statutory registrations for making, stocking and selling all products manufactured at its Solapur unit.