The unattended illicit drug consignment which was seized at the Dimapur railway station. (Morung Photos)
DIMAPUR, MARCH 5 (MExN): A large consignment of ‘cetirizine HCL & pseudoephedrine HCL tablets’ were impounded at the Dimapur railway station on Tuesday, March 5. The drugs were found left unattended at the platform.
According to the officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police Station, Dimapur, the drugs were off loaded at the platform around 10:00 pm. Following the recent arrest of an army officer in Manipur with drugs, GRPS personnel went on alert as suspicion arose on the likelihood of smugglers using trains to transport controlled drugs.
On the night of March 4, a mysterious package arrived at the station without any attendants. Suspicion arose leading duty personnel to check the parcel.
It contained 1, 15, 200 strips of controlled ‘cetirizine HCL & pseudoephedrine HCL tablets’ (designated as a Schedule H drug which can be retailed only on the prescription of medical practitioners). It is approximated that the drugs can fetch around five crores in rupees in the illicit drug market. The maximum retail price (for ten tablets) of the drug as printed in the package is Rs. 3.75. The origin of the illicit consignment is yet to be established, while no arrests could be made in this connection. A case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act and investigation is on.
Pseudoephedrine is said to be a highly sought-after chemical precursor in the illicit drug manufacturing market. It is extracted from pharmaceutical drugs containing the chemical compound and is eventually used in the manufacture of banned narcotic drugs also known as ‘hard drugs’.
