The Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA) joined hands with the Prohibition and Excise Department to bust a network involved in the illegal procurement, storage, and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in Hyderabad.
Four people were arrested in the crackdown, besides seizing a large quantity of illicit drugs.
Officials searched the GV Saluja Hospital at Regimental Bazar in Secunderabad and confiscated significant stocks of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, including fentanyl, ketamine, pentazocine, and midazolam injections.
Further investigation took the officials to an alleged habitual offender, Neha Bhagwat, a resident of Moulali, Malkajgiri, who illegally procured narcotic drugs and stored them at her residence.
She allegedly supplied these drugs to various entities across the state that did not have the required licences to store or sell narcotics.
Among the items recovered during the inspection at Bhagwat’s residence were large stocks of morphine injections, morphine tablets, fentanyl injections, fentanyl patches, and pentazocine injections.
The DCA and Prohibition & Excise Department have intensified efforts to curb the illegal distribution of controlled substances, with further investigations underway to trace other possible links in this network.
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Illegal narcotic drugs
Based on credible information, DCA officials in the Secunderabad Zone, along with the Special Task Force (STF) and Drug Task Force (DTF) of the Prohibition & Excise Department, searched the GV Saluja Hospital on 30 October.
During the inspection, officials uncovered a significant quantity of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances stored illegally for sale at the hospital without a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) licence.
The seized items included fentanyl injections (100 mcg/2 ml), ketamine hydrochloride injections (50 mg/10 ml vial), pentazocine injections (30 mg/1 ml), and midazolam injections (1 mg/ml, 10 mg vial).
The owner of GV Saluja Hospital, Rajender Singh Saluja, is missing.
Fentanyl injections are potent synthetic opioids used for pain management in surgeries and chronic pain conditions, but they have a high potential for abuse and addiction, often leading to overdose and respiratory depression.
Ketamine injections are used as a dissociative anesthetic and for treating chronic pain and depression; however, recreational use can lead to psychological dependence and “K-hole” (an out-of-the-body hallucinogenic) experience.
Pentazocine injections provide relief for moderate to severe pain but can also be misused for their euphoric effects, potentially resulting in dependence.
Midazolam injections are used for sedation and seizure management; however, they can be abused for their sedative and anxiolytic effects, leading to dependence and increased risk of overdose, especially when combined with other central nervous system depressants.
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Habitual offender
“The investigation revealed that Neha Bhagwat, a resident of Moulali, and originally from Nagpur, Maharashtra, was illegally supplying these narcotic and psychotropic drugs to GV Saluja Hospital,” Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy of the DCA said in a statement.
“Neha is a habitual offender, with two prior cases filed against her under the NDPS Act. She had recently been released on bail for an NDPS-related case in the third week of September 2024,” Reddy added.
Officials also raided Bhagwat’s residence in MJ Colony, Malkajgiri, and found substantial stocks of narcotic drugs, including morphine injections, morphine tablets, fentanyl citrate injections, fentanyl citrate patches, and pentazocine injections. They were illegally procured and stored for supply to various unlicensed entities in Hyderabad.
During questioning, Bhagwat confessed to illegally procuring narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances from Dinesh, the owner of Pioneer Drug House located in Nagpur.
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Arrested people
Neha Bhagwat – Supplier of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances
Patturi Gopinath – Employee at GV Saluja Hospital
Surender Singh Gusia – Operation theatre technician at GV Saluja Hospital
B. Srinivas – Pharmacist at GV Saluja Hospital
Wanted suspects:
Rajender Singh Saluja – Owner of GV Saluja Hospital
Dr. Amrutha Singh Saluja – Wife of Rajender Singh Saluja and doctor at GV Saluja Hospital
Dinesh – Owner of Pioneer Drug House, Nagpur
“Additional raids are being conducted at several hospitals in Hyderabad where Neha Bhagwat had illegally supplied narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The authorities are continuing their efforts to dismantle this illegal drug network and hold those involved accountable,” Reddy said.
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Health risks
Hospitals and pharmacies affiliated with hospitals must possess a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) licence issued by the Drugs Control Administration of Telangana.
This licence is essential for the legal purchase of NDPS drugs and for supplying them to doctors for the utilization of narcotic drugs during surgical procedures.
“The illegal possession, purchase, and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances are punishable under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Violations of this act can lead to severe legal consequences for individuals and institutions involved,” the director-general said.
The abuse of narcotic drugs poses significant health risks, affecting individuals physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Addiction is a prevalent consequence, characterised by a compulsive need to seek and use drugs despite adverse effects. Overdose is a potentially fatal outcome that occurs when the body is overwhelmed by the quantity of drugs consumed, leading to life-threatening consequences.
Addiction to narcotic injections is particularly dangerous, resulting in physical dependence and tolerance. Users may experience slow breathing, respiratory depression, and severe drowsiness, all of which increase the risk of comatose and death due to respiratory failure and overdose.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
