Healthcare firm CEO among six nabbed for illegal drug trade

Six persons, including the CEO of a herbal healthcare firm, have been arrested in connection with the illegal manufacturing and supply of Alprazolam, a psychotropic substance, in the Delhi-NCR region, the police said on Friday.

The psychotropic drug was allegedly produced at a facility in Hisar, Haryana, owned by Biocase Foods and Extracts Pvt Ltd, a company led by Dr Naveen Aggarwal.

According to the police, Aggarwal recently received the ‘CEO of the Year’ award and was honoured with the Indian Achievers’ Award in 2023. The arrest marks a significant blow to the drug trafficking network operating in the region.

Anand Kumar, also known as Sonu, who runs Sakshi Enterprises Ltd, a pharmaceutical company, was also arrested for his role in the trade, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amit Goel. He added that the other four accused — Deepak Kumar, Rajender Kumar Mishra, Ram Ashish Maurya and Mukesh Kumar — acted as suppliers.

The investigation began on March 23, following the arrest of Mishra in Delhi’s Brijpuri area, from whom the authorities recovered 18 kg of Alprazolam powder. Mishra revealed that he was part of a drug cartel, procuring Alprazolam from Maurya and delivering it to Anand Kumar in Karawal Nagar, Delhi. After further raids, the police recovered more than Rs 1.17 crore in cash from the homes of Maurya and Kumar.

The drug was traced back to the Hisar-based facility owned by Aggarwal. “The Alprazolam powder was manufactured at a unit of Biocase Foods and Extracts Pvt Ltd., which is owned by Aggarwal,” the DCP said. With the assistance of a forensic team, traces of the substance were confirmed at the factory, leading to Aggarwal’s arrest.