Tramadol seizure: One more arrested

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 20

In a significant development, the Amritsar rural police have arrested another banned drug (tramadol) supplier Manu Chohan in connection with the seizure of the banned drug — tramadol — from Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh on May 28.

Chohan was evading arrest since the arrest of another chemist Amarpreet Singh, alias Sunny. A police official privy to investigation said he was nabbed from Mohanke village in Ferozepur where he was hiding. He said Chohan was instrumental in the supply of tramadol from Prem Kumar Jha of Mansi medicos in Delhi to Amritsar and other parts of Punjab.

“Manu Chohan’s name figured during the interrogation of three drug traffickers who were arrested with 45,000 tablets of tramadol on May 18,” said sources. During the investigation of their forward and backward linkages, the rural police had landed at the Paonta Sahib firm and thereafter at the Kala Amb factory.

Earlier, Manu Chohan used to work with a liquor vend owner. Later, he started supplying tramadol finding it more lucrative.

With his arrest, the number of accused arrested so far has risen to 11. Among those arrested included Munish Mohan, the alleged owner of Himachal Pradesh-based firm Unique Formulation and Prem Kumar Jha, owner of Mansi medical store in Delhi. Sources said following Chohan’s arrest, the police have also applied for the production warrant of Sunny who was currently in jail. Sunny had introduced him to Jha and later he started supplying the opioid-based painkiller in Amritsar and other parts of Punjab.

The police have also written to Financial Intelligence Unit for carrying out financial investigation of the suspects nabbed in connection with the seizure of a huge quantity of the opioid-based painkiller from two places in Himachal Pradesh.

The Narcotics Control Bureau is also likely to interrogate the suspects in connection with the seizure of drug from two places in Delhi.