Kathmandu, August 9

The Lalitpur District Court remanded Ratan Lal Sanghai and three others to 15 more days in police custody to proceed with further investigation into their alleged involvement in smuggling drug chemicals.

Ratan Lal, proprietor of Lalitpur-based Sanghai Plastic Industries Pvt Ltd, and his alleged associates were produced before the court after the second seven-day remand ended today, said SSP Ganesh KC, deputy chief at the Narcotics Control Bureau

The NCB had arrested Ratan Lal, Dilip Pandit, an employee of Bara-based Arya Pharmalab’s office in Kathmandu, and Shyam Tamang and Badri Ban, the alleged henchmen of Ratan Lal and his younger brother Pawan Kumar Sanghai with over 472 kg of pseudoephedrine on July 12. However, Pawan Kumar is still absconding. SSP Basnet said a search operation was under way to nab him.

The chemicals of amphetamine was found concealed in a warehouse of the plastic factory in Lalitpur that the NCB said was ferried and stored by the Arya Pharmalab to smuggle them to India, China and Myanmar. The Sanghai brothers own both the plastic factories and the pharmaceutical company.

The NCB had also arrested Mohit Halan (28) of Birgunj, Parsa from Bara. He is a son of Shankar Halan, director of the Arya Pharmalab. He is also the marketing director of the drug company.

Mohit was handed over to the District Police Office, Bara to proceed with legal action. NCB said it was also searching for Shankar, who is at large following Sanghai’s arrest.

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