The Chennai airport authorities arrested a person on Sunday while he was trying to smuggle out huge quantities of narcotics, anabolic steroids, aphrodisiacs, antibiotics etc to Malaysia.
The incident occurred a few weeks after Pharmabiz reported the possible existence of a rampant Tamil Nadu based international racket dealing with high value life saving drugs and narcotics for profiteering and nefarious activities.
Sources said that when the CISF personnel intercepted 28-year-old Rasul Khan Jalil standing near the passengers waiting to board the IC955 flight to Kuala Lumpur on suspicion, he had four bags containing 36 varieties of various drugs.
When the Drug Controller- airport checked the seizure, the identified drugs included narcotics like Fortwin injection, Alprazolam and Phenylephdrine, anabolic steroids like Stanozolol and Testosterone, 100 vials of Deca Durbolin, 36 vials of Ketamine Hydrochloride, anesthetic drugs like Zyntec-D, anti diabetic drug Dianyl, 10, 000 odd capsules of anti-depressant like Overran, locally made aphrodisiacs etc. The whole bags weighed over 90 kilograms, and the drugs would cost not less than Rs.50 lakhs, said sources. Senior officials of the drug control department in Tamil Nadu rushed to the spot and confirmed the seized drugs.
Talking to Pharmabiz, Dr R Arivudai Nambi, technical officer, (Drugs), Chennai Airport, said Jalil was trying to travel without valid documents or source of origin of the medicines and drugs. His intentions were yet to be ascertained, and further investigation could reveal more information on the racket, said Dr Nambi.
Meanwhile, some sources said Jalil's entry into the restricted area of the airport could be either due to security lapses or with the connivance of one or more officials in the airport. Jalil had entered the airport with an expired air ticket to Kuala Lumpur dated 25th December. Except for two, the entire luggage had old security stickers pasted on them. He possessed the passport of Ghulam Mydin Ibrahim of Muthukumaraswamy Street at St Thomas Mount, Chennai, said to be one of the accomplices.
Sources said CISF handed over Jalil to the Alandur police for further investigation. The charges against him include criminal conspiracy and smuggling of narcotic drugs. The cases are under sections 120 B, 448, 465, 468, 471 and 473 of the Indian Penal Code Act and Sections 18, 17 (a) and (b), 17 A, 17 B and 27 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
It is to be noted that the customs officials at the Chennai Anna International airport had seized a large quantity of the banned anti bacterial life saving drug Tienam Imipenem three weeks ago, carried by a passenger from the Malaysia - Singapore - Chennai route. The seizure included 120 containers with each containing 500 mg of Tienam manufactured by Merck Saark Dohem (MSD) Netherlands. The DCGI has not licensed to manufacture and market the drug in India.