In a major crackdown on an interstate opioid manufacturing and trafficking operation, the Punjab Special Task Force (STF), alongside the state’s anti-drug wing, arrested three individuals from Haridwar involved in the illegal sale of alprazolam tablets. The arrested men are Vishu Kumar (alias Vishal Kumar), Abhishek Chauhan, and Nikhil Garg, all residents of Rawali Mehdood, Janpat, Haridwar.
The trio was allegedly responsible for the sale of 1.18 million alprazolam tablets in just three months between October and December 2023. During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused had created a fictitious medical firm named Sri Sham Medical in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. However, police discovered that the supposed medical store did not exist at the listed address. Instead, the suspects were intercepting narcotic consignments before they reached the fake address, diverting them to Punjab, where the drugs were distributed to abusers.
The ongoing investigation has so far resulted in the arrest of 10 individuals and the seizure of approximately Rs2.7 crore worth of intoxicating tablets, as well as 765 kg of narcotic powder. In total, the STF has seized Rs 2.37 lakh in drug-related money. This operation spans across five states—Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
The STF’s investigation, which began three months ago, also uncovered a wider network of drug trafficking. It included the arrest of two drug peddlers in February 2023—Sukhwinder Singh and Jaspreet Singh, who were found with 4.24 lakh intoxicating tablets. Further inquiries led to the kingpin of the operation, Alex Paliwal, who was apprehended in Saharanpur after 9.04 lakh intoxicants were found in his possession. This eventually connected the network to the Smilex Pharmachem Drug Industries in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, a company involved in the illegal manufacturing of psychotropic substances.
In a subsequent raid at the company’s facilities, the STF seized 47.32 lakh intoxicating capsules and 725.5 kg of tramadol powder, sufficient to produce over 1.5 crore capsules. The records revealed that the company had purchased 6,500 kg of tramadol powder in the past year, fueling the illegal drug trade.
The ongoing investigation is uncovering even more layers of this interstate drug network, with multiple arrests and seizures expected. The three arrested individuals—Kumar, Chauhan, and Garg—are set to be brought to Amritsar, where they will be produced in court for further remand and investigation.
SSP Vavinder Mahajan of the STF emphasized that this is only the beginning of the crackdown and assured citizens of continued efforts to dismantle such criminal operations.
