Major Crackdown on Pharma Opioid Network: Amritsar Police Bust Tramadol Supply Chain Linking Amritsar to Haridwar
Babushahi Bureau
Amritsar, July 31, 2025 —
In a significant breakthrough against illegal pharma opioid distribution, the Amritsar Police Commissionerate has uncovered a major supply chain dealing in Tramadol, an opioid medication, tracing its origins from a minor recovery in Amritsar to a manufacturing unit in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
The investigation began with the recovery of just 35 Tramadol tablets in Amritsar and quickly escalated through successive disclosures and raids. Police have arrested six individuals, including chemists, distributors, and the plant head of Lucent Biotech Ltd., in connection with the illegal supply network. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.
Authorities have recovered more than 70,000 Tramadol tablets, ₹7.65 lakh in drug-related cash, and 325 kilograms of raw Tramadol material. The seized medicine strips bore the label “Government Supply Only – Not for Sale,” highlighting the illegal diversion of medical stock meant for authorized use.
The breakthrough came following the meticulous investigations into an initial recovery of 35 Tramadol tablets and the arrest of a local peddler, Ravinder Singh alias Nikka, in an FIR registered at Police Station A-Division, Amritsar. Probing backward and forward linkages, the police escalated the recovery to a staggering 74,465 Tramadol tablets, 50 Alprazolam tablets, and 325 kg of Tramadol raw material within just 15 days.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that based on sequential disclosures and raids, six arrests were made including chemists, distributors, and the plant head of Lucent Biotech Ltd.
Those arrested have been identified as Hari Kishore, Plant Manager of Lucent Biotech Limited, Roorkee, and Bikram, owner-cum-partner of Recall Lifesciences, Roorkee. Other arrested individuals include Manish Kumar Arora, Pooran Jatav, and Kulwinder Singh alias Kinda, a medical store owner from Kathunangal.
The DGP said that the grave concern of seized ‘TRAKEMi-100’ Tramadol strips bearing “Government Supply Only – Not for Sale,” indicating illegal diversion of medical stock.
Key pharma units found violating norms have been sealed and records are being scrutinised, he said, while adding that further investigation is in progress.
Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that a joint team of Amritsar Police and drug inspectors raided pharma units in Roorkee, Haridwar, seizing 4,130 unlabelled Tramadol tablets and 325 kg of unregistered raw material. This is in addition to the earlier recovery of 70,335 tablets and Rs 7.69 lakh drug money, he said.
The CP said that during the interrogation of accused Hari Kishore admitted to printing ‘Government Supply Only Not For Sale’, on the strips of ‘TRAKEMi-100’, Tramadol tablet strips at the manufacturing unit, also he has now destroyed that stamp. The accused has also admitted that the Tramadol Tablets supply manufactured for another legal firm was sold illegally to the Recall Lifesciences of Roorkee, he said.
He said that more persons involved in this pharma opiod supply network have been identified and raids are being conducted to nab them.
A case FIR no. 108 dated 16-7-2025 has been registered under sections 22, 27(A), 29 and 31 of the NDPS Act and section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station A-Division in Amritsar.