The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has discovered an extra nine kilograms of the anaesthetic drug etomidate while investigating an alleged international export racket. This brings the total amount seized to 50 kilograms across India and abroad. The recent seizures were a result of follow-up searches conducted after sharing case details on Tuesday.
During the recent actions, four kilograms of etomidate were confiscated from the Aramex logistics hub. The consignment, falsely labeled as “aloe vera powder,” was being sent for air cargo shipment by accused Nikunj Gadhiya through a firm named DSUN Chemicals and Pharma, not registered in his name. Another five kilograms of etomidate active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) were found in the office premises of Rudra Enterprises in Surat, registered in the name of accused Chetan Vavadiya.
With these latest seizures, the total recovered quantity now includes 30 kilograms intercepted earlier from a logistics hub awaiting customs clearance and five kilograms seized from office premises in Surat. Additionally, 15 kilograms linked to the same network were seized by authorities in Thailand earlier. The investigation team made two more seizures following a press byte on Tuesday, uncovering false declarations used to conceal the substance’s nature.
The case surfaced when the Gujarat ATS exposed a suspected network exporting the anaesthetic drug to Southeast Asian countries by mislabeling it as herbal or cosmetic raw materials. Allegedly involving three Surat-based businessmen, including Nikunj Gadhiya, Chetan Vavadiya, and Bhautik Padmani, the operation exploited regulatory differences to procure and export etomidate, a controlled substance in various countries.
