Bharuch, July 31 (IANS) The Gujarat Police’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has seized 540 prohibited Pentazocine Lactate injections from a rented shop in Bharuch district and arrested a 31-year-old man for allegedly possessing and selling the prescription drug without the required authorisation, officials said on Friday.
The action was carried out by the ANTF Vadodara Zone in the jurisdiction of B Division Police Station of Bharuch, as part of an operation targeting the illegal sale and trafficking of narcotic and psychotropic substances prohibited under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
According to the ANTF, senior officers had directed officers to intensify action against the illegal trade in prohibited substances across the Vadodara Zone.
Acting on specific intelligence received jointly by Assistant Sub-Inspector Navin Kadkiya and Head Constable Mahesh Babulal while patrolling from the ANTF camp at Ankleshwar, officers raided a rented shop at Plot No. 2, near Madina Masjid in Ansar Market of Bharuch district.
During the raid, the team arrested Sarfaraz Ahmed, a scrap dealer who is currently residing at Seefa Heights in Ankleshwar. Police said he was allegedly found in possession of 540 Pentazocine Lactate Injection IP 30 mg/ml vials, Batch No. FH2PZ-08, without a valid pass, permit or a doctor’s prescription.
In addition to the injections, officers seized one mobile phone and cash. The total value of the seized property has been estimated at Rs 53,480.
The ANTF said Ashutosh Pandya, a resident of Mumbai who is alleged to have supplied the seized stock, has been named as a wanted accused in the case.
A case has been registered under Sections 8(C), 22(A) and 29 of the NDPS Act.
The investigation is continuing to trace the wanted accused and determine the wider network involved in the alleged illegal distribution of the injections.
–IANS
mys/dan
