Prescribed drugs sold as stimulants to youth in TN, Kerala, Pudhucherry
Police have busted a racket where in prescribed drugs were being sold to unauthorised persons for the sake of intoxication. Four persons were arrested and huge quantities of drugs have been seized. The racket involved youth across several districts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pudhucherry, the police said.
Based on an intelligence input about the smuggling of prescribed drugs, a team of police led by Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dindigul Range), Rupesh Kumar Meena and Sivakasi Deputy Superintendent of Police A. Babu Prasanth and Bodi DSP N. Suresh, kept a close watch on the network and have arrested four persons since Tuesday.
The police team first raided a spot in Uthamapalayam in Theni district and found that S. Mohammed Meeran (22) and A. Manickam (19) were in possession of bottles of prescribed drugs and syringes.
The drugs which could be sold only with a proper prescription by doctors was being sold as stimulant for a premium among the youth. During interrogation, the duo had revealed that they had bought the drugs from one J. Jonathan Mark (30) of Tiruchi who was introduced to them by S. Thangeswaran of Chinnamanoor and P. Saravanakumar of Kamatchipuram.
Enquiry revealed that the accused had been buying the drugs from Mark of Karumandapam and made payment through mobile payment application.
Further investigation revealed that the engineering graduate, Mark, who was running a pharmaceutical business, had been making wholesale purchase of the drugs from Madurai, Chennai and Pune using different secret codes.
"He used to send the drugs through buses in the guise of sending medicines to his relatives," Inspector General of Police, Asra Garg, said.
The business which had been going on for few years has expanded to 11 districts across the State. Besides, he was selling it to different districts in Kerala and also to Pudhucherry.
The police have also arrested a woman, B. Vinodhini, who was working as an assistant for Mark in his business.
Besides seizure of the drugs, the police have also taken steps to freeze three bank accounts of Mark.
The IG warned of stringent action against those selling drugs that would ruin the lives of youth.
