NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, OCT 7
A racket in smuggling of psychotropic drugs to foreign countries through the postal parcel service has been busted and a Madurai-based pharma exporter arrested, the Customs here said on Wednesday.
Chennai Air Customs seized 455 tablets of Psychotropic Drugs-Alprazolam, Lorazepam, Clonazepam and Diazepam under NDPS Act from two postal parcels destined to USA at FPO. A Madurai based Pharma Exporter Arrested. pic.twitter.com/hIu1HzjlHP
— Chennai Customs (@ChennaiCustoms) October 7, 2020
A total of 455 tablets of Alprazolam, Lorazepam, Clonazepam and Diazepam kept concealed inside two parcels booked for the U.S were seized when the Customs personnel intercepted them at at the Foreign Post Office here based in intelligence, a Customs release said.
The parcels were booked from Madurai in Tamil Nadu to cities in Tennessee and Arkansas in the US. On a follow up search, it was found that the parcels were booked by a person running a pharmaceutical export firm in Madurai and shipping Ayurvedic, Siddha and Allopathic medicines.
“The exporter has sent psychotropic drug to overseas buyers using fake sender name without having authorisation from Narcotics commissioner,” and received online payments, it said, adding he has been arrested.
These drugs belong to class of medicine known as benzodiazepine, which is used in the treatment of anxiety, seizures and panic attack. “The abuse of these drugs is common among youth,” it said, adding license is required from the Narcotics commissioner for legal export.
