The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) has prevented an attempt to illegally divert an export consignment of 12 crore high-strength Tramadol Hydrochloride tablets, popularly known as the fighter drug. The Ministry of Finance said that the entire consignment, weighing around 30 metric tonnes has been seized from a warehouse in Delhi. It added, three key accused including one from Bengaluru and two from Kochi, have been arrested under the NDPS Act, 1985. The Ministry said that codenamed Operation Vajra was carried out by preventive teams of the Central Bureau of Narcotics between the 10th and 20th of this month across Bengaluru, Delhi and Kochi.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the consignment was declared for export to Guinea-Bissau but was allegedly intended to be diverted to Libya through illicit international channels. Acting on intelligence inputs and risk-based export profiling, the CBN intercepted the consignment before it could be shipped. The Ministry said the operation prevented a massive consignment of illicit synthetic opioids from reaching conflict zones and highlighted the effectiveness of intelligence-led enforcement, inter-agency coordination and international cooperation in combating transnational drug trafficking. It added that the operation reflects government commitment in safeguarding the country’s regulatory framework and dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks in furtherance of the Government’s vision of Nasha Mukt Bharat and safe use of drugs.
