Ketamine filled in branded toothpaste tubes; 1 arrested

A man has been arrested from central Delhi's Paharganj area with the police seizing 1kg ketamine drug filled in branded toothpaste tubes worth Rs 25 lakh from his possession, an official said today.
Acting on a tip-off, Satender Kumar Yadav (36) was arrested on September 21, police said.
The police learnt about Yadav, member of an international illegal drugs syndicate, visiting Paharganj to send the drug abroad through courier.
A trap was laid and he was nabbed. We recovered a kilogram of ketamine powder, a psychotropic substance, that was filled in branded toothpaste tubes, a police officer said.
Yadav, a native of Bihar, was running a cosmetic shop in Paharganj area here, they said.

"Earlier, the accused used to work as an assistant at his cousin Nagender's chemist shop in Paharganj, where foreign customers lined up to purchase ketamine," Bhisham Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), said.

Nagender would prepare ketamine powder from ketamine injections and supply it in foreign countries. In 2012, Nagender was arrested, following which Yadav took over his cousin's business, he said.
Yadav started purchasing ketamine injections from his source in Patna, the officer said.
"The accused used to fill ketamine powder in branded toothpaste tubes and supply them to his contact in Spain by courier," Singh said.
Raids are being conducted in Delhi and Patna to arrest the associates of the accused, police said.

Ketamine is used as an anaesthetic, for pain relief and as an antidepressant. It is banned in India and several European countries. The drug is manufactured and supplied under the special provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetic Acts and Rules, added the officer.