The police officials in charge at the Chennai Anna International airport has arrested a person for trying to smuggle out an anesthetic drug in bulk quantity to Malaysia.

Based on a tip-off, the officials intercepted a passenger bound to travel in the Chennai – Kulalampur route on Saturday night, last week, and found his baggage had 22 boxes containing 15 mini-bottles of Ketamine Hydrochloride, normally used as a drug for anesthesia.

The passenger could not produce any relevant documents related to either the origin of drugs, source of purchase or prescription from medical practitioners. The passenger was handed over to the Meenambakkam police for further investigations.

Talking to Pharmabiz.com, Dr. R. Arivudai Nambi, technical officer, Drugs, at the Chennai airport, said the drug could fetch many million rupees in the international market. “We are not sure whether the drug is meant for nefarious activities or for profiteering. Since India produces a large quantity and variety of drugs at cheaper prices in comparison to the western world and many other developing countries, smuggling of drugs has become rampant,” said Dr.Nambi.

It is to be noted Pharmabiz.com had earlier reported on the possible existence of a large-scale racket with extensive inter continental network to smuggle large quantity of medicines and narcotics from India to Malaysia.

Apart from the Saturday incident, the Chennai Anna International Airport authorities had intercepted three such similar attempts in the last three to four months. A recent seizure included narcotics like Zyntec – D and Diacepam, huge quantities of anabolic steroids, vitamin injections, anti-diabetic drugs, pain relievers, anti-asthmatic drugs and various other life saving medicines.

In another incident during December, 2003, the officials had arrested a person for carrying Zyntec-D, Fortwin injection, Alprazolam and Phenylephdrine, anabolic steroids like Stanozolol and Testosterone, 100 vials of Deca Durbolin, 36 vials of Ketamine Hydrochloride, 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 were worth not less than Rs.50 lakhs. Two weeks prior to that incident, the customs officials had chanced upon to seize a large quantity of the banned anti bacterial life saving drug Tienam Imipenem Cilastatin Sodiumnad carried by a passenger in the Malaysia – Singapore – Chennai route. He was carrying 120 containers with each containing 500 mg of Tienam manufactured by Merck Saark Dohem (MSD) Netherlands and worth many million rupees in the country.