The Thane Police Crime Branch has arrested four people for allegedly possessing large quantities of Tramadol, which was banned in the country earlier this year.
Also known as ‘ISIS drug’, Tramadol is said to be a painkiller so potent that it is used by fighters of the Islamic State (IS).
An Anti Extortion Cell team led by Senior Police Inspector Pradeep Sharma seized the drugs from Thane (West) on Tuesday. An officer said, “We have seized 20,000 strips of Tramadol, each with 10 tablets, worth around ₹5 crore. The drugs have been illegally manufactured.”
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Based on a tip off, four residents of Thane were picked up for questioning on Monday. Their interrogation led to the seizure of the drugs. The Thane Crime Branch is now trying to find out the the source and intended recipients of the drugs. The arrested accused were produced in court on Tuesday afternoon and remanded in police custody till October 1.
Tramadol was declared a controlled substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in April this year. The Union government’s action was based on a Narcotics Control Bureau report which said the drug was internationally smuggled to groups suspected to be supplying it to the IS.