Business family involved in drug smuggling: NCB

Kathmandu, July 31

Nearly one week after the arrest of two suspects with 492 kg of pseudoephedrine (a precursor chemical), the Narcotics Control Bureau today divulged the involvement of a prominent business family in the smuggling of chemicals used in amphetamine.

The NCB launched a thorough investigation with the arrest of Mohit Halan (28) of Birgunj, Parsa in possession of 20.125 kg pseudoephedrine from Bara on July 27. Mohit is a son of Shankar Halan, director of Bara-based Arya Pharmalab Pvt Ltd.

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He is also the marketing director of the drug company. Mohit has been handed over to the District Police Office, Bara to proceed with legal action.

Based on explanations furnished by Mohit, the NCB nabbed Dilip Pandit (35) of India, an employee of an office of the company in Kamalpokhari, and raided a godown of Sanghai Plastic Industries Pvt Ltd to confiscate additional 471 kg of pseudoephedrine being concealed there in tablet form.

The chemicals were packed in 922 plastic cans without any brand name and label. As per the Product Specification Standard of the Department of Drug Administration, the concerned drug company is required to send medicines to the market in strip or blister packs.

The company was found to have collected medicines like decold, rinex and sinex among others from the market in large quantity and removed the tablet to make it dust before smuggling them to China, India and Myanmar as raw materials of amphetamine.

The NCB also arrested Ratan Lal Sanghai (66) of Indrachowk, Kathmandu, Badri Ban (43) of Kathmandu and Shyam Tamang Moktan (46) of Jhapa.

NCB officials said Ratan, young brother of Pawan Sangali, was allegedly found guilty of instructing Dilip and Harshit Mishra, manager of his plastic industries, and others to manage and conceal the drug chemicals for smuggling.

Pawan, who was once abducted by former minister Shyam Sundar Gupta, is said to be absconding. Pawan is the director of the plastic industries.

DIGP Jaya Bahadur Chand, NCB in-charge, said the pharmaceutical company had recently smuggle 50 kg of pseudoephedrine to India. “Pseudoephedrine is a amphetamine chemical, which may be used as a nasal/sinus decongestant, a stimulant, or wakefulness-promoting agent.

The pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine sulfate are found in many over-the-counter preparations, either as a single ingredient or in combination with antihistamines, guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, and paracetamol,” he informed.

Nepal has more than 50 pharmaceutical companies and had a demand of 2,575 kilogrammes of drug chemicals in the fiscal 2014/15 compared to 3,151 kilogrammes in 2015/16, an indication of its smuggling abroad for hefty profit.

DSP Apil Bohara, who is a investigator of this case, said the chemicals seized from the pharmaceutical company could be used to make amphetamine worth over one billion rupees.

The arrestees have been charged under the Narcotic Drugs (Control) Act. An official at the Department of Drug Administration said pharmaceutical licence granted to Sanghai would be revoked if the arrestees were convicted.