Gujarat ATS arrests two for illegal precursor chemical exports to Mexico

Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested two persons for illegally exporting precursor chemicals for manufacturing fentanyl and other banned psychotropic substances by air to drug mafias in Mexico, Guatemala, and other countries, it said on Tuesday.

An investigation showed that the partners of certain chemical and pharma companies in Surat had illegally procured and exported precursors for the manufacturing of the controlled psychotropic substance fentanyl, prohibited in many countries, the ATS said in a release.

The accused individuals used bogus end-user certificates and fake invoices, and misdeclared the shipments to evade detection by the Customs Departments and international narcotics agencies while smuggling the chemicals via air cargo to companies in Mexico and Guatemala, it said.

 

These substances -- 1-Boc-4-piperidone (N-Boc-4-piperidone) and 4-piperidone -- have been placed on the Red List by the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and also listed under the International Special Surveillance List (ISSL) by India's Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), the ATS said.

The ATS stated that Satishkumar Sutariya, the main partner of Athos Chemicals Pvt. Ltd, Agrat Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, and S.R. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals in Surat, along with his partners and certain drug mafias from Mexico and Guatemala, conspired to smuggle contraband.

Sutariya and Yuktakumari Ashishkumar Modi, a partner in S.R. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals and Agrat Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, revealed that they acted in collusion to export precursors for fentanyl via air cargo by concealing the shipments, it said.

The contraband was being sent via air cargo to companies based in Mexico and Guatemala after being procured from Indian companies using fake end-user certificates and bogus invoices, according to ATS.

Additionally, Agrat Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals had planned to export Act 4-Anilino-N-phenethylpiperidine (ANPP) and N-Phenethyl-4-piperidone (NPP), which are psychotropic controlled substances included under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, to J&C Import, a company based in Guatemala, it said.

"The accused individuals fraudulently purchased these controlled substances under fake names and invoices, created bogus bills, and mislabelled and mis-declared them in preparation for export. It is suspected that J&C Import is linked to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel," the ATS said.

They created fake end-user certificates to purchase precursor chemicals, mislabelled parcels containing key precursors used to manufacture the banned psychotropic substance fentanyl, and used fake invoices as genuine documents, the ATS said.

They also prepared to procure and export banned psychotropic controlled substances ANPP and NPP via air cargo using fraudulent invoices.

Cases were registered against them under sections 28, 29, and 30 of the NDPS Act and under sections 336(2), 340(2), and 350(1) of the Indian Penal Code, and legal action is underway, it said.