Racket trafficking drugs disguised as aloe vera powder to Thailand, Malaysia through Mumbai busted, 1 held: Gujarat ATS

The Gujarat ATS said that on March 6, they booked Nikunj Haresh Gadhiya, owner of firms DWN Bioscience, Neutral Pharma, and Om Herbs; Bhautik Damji Padmani of firm Jani Pharma; and Chetan Kanu Vavadiya, who runs Rudra Enterprises. Nikunj Gadhiya was later placed under arrest.

Gujarat ATS Deputy Superintendent of Police Harsh Upadhyay received confidential information that the analgesic drug named etomidate, classified as a narcotic and psychotropic substance in certain South Asian countries, was being smuggled to Malaysia and Thailand by three persons through their five firms at the behest of Narcotics Cartels in those countries by forging bills and Customs clearances.

In Thailand, etomidate powder is classified under Schedule II of the Psychotropic Substances Act; in Malaysia as a Group B drug under Poisons Act; and in Singapore as a Class C Drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The accused persons allegedly mislabelled and misdeclared their shipments as aloe vera powder and were transporting it to Malaysia via air courier. The Gujarat ATS informed the Commissioner of Customs in Mumbai who, in turn, asked the FedEx to put a hold on the latest shipment. A Raman Spectroscopy was carried out on the shipment which led to the confirmation that the parcel contained etomidate.

A Gujarat ATS team, with the help of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Surat City Police, detained the three persons and brought them to the ATS headquarters in Ahmedabad. Upon interrogation, it was allegedly revealed that the illegal shipment was meant for Malaysia and Thailand. The ATS, in its statement on Saturday, also said that a Malaysian national named Chua Zhi Xuan, involved with a drug cartel, was involved in this racket.

The ATS further said, “During the preliminary investigation, it was found that previously, Nikunj Haresh Gadhiya had, through his company DWN Bioscience, mislabeled 50 kg of etomidate powder as aloe vera powder and exported it to two to three persons in Malaysia. Chetan Kanu Vavadiya had, through his company Rudra Enterprise, exported 50 kg of etomidate powder mislabeled as Ginopol-24 (detergent agent) powder from Mumbai Airport to Malaysia and Thailand.

Bhautik Damjibhai Padmani had mislabeled and misdeclared 25 kg of Etomidate powder in the name of his own Jani Pharma and sent it to Malaysia and Thailand.”

The etomidate powder was sent in bulk worth an estimated $4000-5000 per kg. The above etomidate powder, much of which was seized by the Thai Police.

On March 6, an FIR was filed at the ATS police station in which Nikunj Haresh Gadhiya, Bhautik Damji Padmani and Chetan Kanu Vavadiya, all residents of Surat, were booked under BNS sections 336(2) (forgery), 336(3) (forgery for cheating), 338 (forgery of valuable securities of documents), 340(2) (using forged documents as genuine), and 350(1) (mislabelling containers).

Further investigation is underway.