AHMEDABAD, Gujarat: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested three people on charges of exporting the painkiller etomidate, wrongly labeling it as aloe vera powder and a personal care ingredient, officials said on Saturday.
The accused Nikunj Jadiya, Chetan Vavadiya and Bhautik Padmani, all residents of Surat, were also in contact with members of drug gangs in Malaysia and Thailand, the Narcotics Control Agency said in a statement.
The action followed information that some individuals were exporting the painkiller to countries in Southeast Asia, where the substance is treated as a narcotic or psychotropic substance under local laws.
Officials said Gadhia operated through his companies DWN Bioscience, Neutral Pharma and Om Herbs, while Padmani used his company Jani Pharma. Likewise, Vavadia used Rudra Corporation to export consignments.
The trio exported the medicine via air freight from Mumbai airport by preparing fake invoices, wrongly labeling the product and submitting forged customs clearance documents. The statement said that etomidate powder is treated as a controlled or banned substance in many countries.
“In Thailand, it is classified as a Schedule II substance under the Psychotropic Substances Act, while in Malaysia it is a Group B drug under the Poisons Act. In Singapore, it is a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act,” the statement said.
According to the Lancet website, etomidate, a short-acting narcotic, is increasingly being misused recreationally. Its rapid dissociative effects and minimal cardiorespiratory depression appeal to teens, especially when refilled in e-liquids that allow for discreet vaping.
The accused mislabeled etomidate as aloe vera powder and tried to send parcels to foreign countries via air cargo, officials said. After receiving the information, ATS informed customs officials in Mumbai and requested the parcels to be detained, the statement said.
She added that the parcels were examined using a Raman spectroscopy device, which confirmed that they contained etomidate.
During initial interrogation, the defendants admitted that they were in contact with a Malaysian drug cartel member, Chua Chi Chuan, and other groups.
ATS said Al-Jadiya exported about 50 kg of etomidate by disguising it as aloe vera powder. Vavadia sent nearly 50 kilograms of the drug under the title “Gynobol-24 Powder,” a personal care ingredient, to Malaysia and Thailand.
Padmani is accused of exporting 25 kg of etomidate by mislabeling it as aloe vera powder, the statement said.
The drug was sold in foreign markets for between $4,000 and $5,000 per kilogram, the agency said, adding that police there confiscated etomidate powder that was sent to Thailand.
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