Sanghai family was allegedly involved in smuggling drugs to India, China and Myanmar on pretext of manufacturing medicine in their Arya Pharmalab

Kathmandu, August 1

The Narcotics Control Bureau today said it had formed a special task force to find the whereabouts of Pawan Kumar Sanghai, director of Lalitpur-based Sanghai Plastic Industries Pvt Ltd from where the anti-drug agency had confiscated 472 kg of pseudoephedrine last week.

A senior official at the NCB told The Himalayan Times that Pawan had been absconding following the raid on his plastic industry and seizure of the precursor chemicals used for making amphetamine, a stimulant.

Police have already nabbed five suspects, including Ratan Lal Sanghai, who is the elder brother of Pawan.

According to the NCB, the prominent business family of Sanghai was allegedly involved in smuggling the drugs to India, China and Myanmar on the pretext of manufacturing medicine under their Bara-based Arya Pharmalab Pvt Ltd.

“The task force will nab Pawan at the earliest for further investigation into the smuggling ring,” the source said. Ratan, who police said is a suspected smuggler, is at the Thapathali-based Norvic International Hospital. “Wherever Ratan is, he is in our custody under tight security.

We took him to Bir Hospital for medical check-up and it referred him to Norvic, citing the need of special healthcare. Police cannot refuse the referral order of the government hospital,” said the official.

The NCB has also arrested Mohit Halan, marketing director of the pharmaceutical company, while his father and Director of the company Shankar Halan is at large. NCB officials said the seized drugs were concealed in the plastic industry by the Sanghais in cahoots with the Halans for smuggling purpose.

“Ratan used to play a key role in managing, concealing and smuggling the chemicals,” claimed the official. Police have the power to keep a suspect in custody for up to 90 days to investigate drug-related cases under the Narcotics Drug (Control) Act.

According to DIG Jaya Bahadur Chand, the accused will be produced in court on Wednesday. Yesterday, the police produced the accused in court, which sent them to four days’ police custody.