3 min readMumbaiApr 22, 2023 08:09 AM IST
First published on: Apr 22, 2023 at 04:54 AM IST
Mumbai Customs officials have busted a Tramadol smuggling syndicate, which is allegedly involved in illegal trafficking of Tramadol tablets worth hundreds of crores of rupees. Customs officials have cracked down on the manufacturer of the popular psychotropic substance.
Customs officials arrested Sangala Sridhar Reddy, 46, director of M/s Safe Formulations Pvt Ltd, a medicine manufacturing company based in Andhra Pradesh. Reddy’s company allegedly supplies Tramadol to two other firms which would allegedly smuggle them further to several countries including Sudan, via air cargo.
Tramadol is a psychotropic substance and painkiller extensively abused world over by addicts. It was banned in India in April 2018.
The Central Intelligence Unit of Mumbai Customs department, based on specific intelligence, intercepted a consignment on February 27, and seized around 10 lakh Tramadol tablets worth approximately Rs 21 crore before it could be shipped to a pharmacy firm in JUBA, South Sudan.
The accused firm First Wealth Solutions was allegedly trying to smuggle the contraband abroad. The consignment was allegedly misdeclared as Tamol-X-225, a calcium carbonate tablet.
The shipment was examined at the air cargo complex in Sahar. Following the seizure, the customs department in March first arrested Bangalore resident Gudipati Subramaniyam, 49, COO of M/s First Wealth Solutions. During further investigation, it was revealed that M/s Safe Formulations Pvt Ltd., in Guntoor–Andhra Pradesh, had provided the said goods to M/s First Wealth Solutions.
Following this, Reddy, director of Safe Formulations, was arrested on Thursday. The company’s board of directors had appointed Reddy as authorised signatory to obtain various licenses and certificates from various departments and authorities.
The probe has also revealed that Safe Formulations had provided 3.31 crore strips or 15,745 kg tablets (not clear whether they were all Tramadol) to First Wealth Solutions in the past.
Reddy’s company had also allegedly supplied a consignment of Tramadol to one M/s Irishealth Global Wellness Pvt Ltd on March 5.
Reddy has been arrested under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. As per government rule, 250 grams of Tramadol is specified as commercial quantity.
Tramadol is a psychotropic substance and painkiller extensively abused world over by addicts. It was banned in India in April 2018. (Representational/File) 
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