Hyderabad: A series of emails between Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Lucent Drugs Private Limited and its overseas clients have led authorities to uncover an alleged Tramadol trade network funnelling drugs to Pakistan.
These emails became key evidence in a crackdown that revealed how LDPL and its international network allegedly circumvented laws and facilitated the flow of illegal drugs, leading to multi-agency probe.
Series of mails traced
The investigation, spearheaded by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), traced a series of email exchanges that revealed how LDPL was allegedly orchestrating the illegal export of Tramadol to Pakistan through a web of intermediaries in Malaysia, Germany, Denmark, and other countries.
One particular exchange from Oct 2021 outlined how LDPL coordinated with Malaysia-based SM Biomed to allegedly arrange a shipment of five tonnes of Tramadol. An email from LDPL advised the client, “Don’t write PAKISTAN NAME IN PO. Please remove total matter in OTHER COLUMN REMARKS (sic).” This instruction to hide Pakistan as the destination was a key piece of evidence that tied the pharmaceutical firm to a broader illegal operation, illustrating how shipments were rerouted through countries like Denmark and Malaysia, the probe revealed. The investigation also revealed that LDPL executives, including managing director Vinod Jain, associate vice-president Devarasetty Sai Vikas, and senior executive Ganugula Eswara Rao, had allegedly falsified purchase orders to obscure Pakistan as the final destination in violation of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Emails discussed exports
As the investigation progressed, further email exchanges exposed the scale of LDPL’s alleged illicit activities. One key exchange involved CHR Olesen, a Denmark-based intermediary, which allegedly helped facilitate the export of 2,200 kg of Tramadol. In an email in March-April 2021, LDPL representatives were found discussing orders with Inteq Chemicals, a Pakistani company. The emails allegedly indicated that while the documents listed other countries as recipients, the actual shipments were intended for Pakistan. “Naheed is optimistic that he will get up to 5 Mt orders from now, but I cannot take such quantity into stock without payment security from Pakistan (sic),” one email read.
Similarly, another batch of communications with Malaysia-based SM Biomed reportedly shed light on further illegal transactions. An email exchange on Oct 1, 2021, saw Ramesh Suvarna, the financial controller of SM Biomed, reportedly inquiring about pricing and confirming a deal involving five tonnes of Tramadol, intended for Inteq.
Investigators also uncovered shipments of Tramadol and its variant, Tramadol Nitrate, being routed to other countries, including Iran and Cambodia. These international routes highlighted the global reach of the smuggling network and demonstrated LDPL’s role in allegedly facilitating the movement of controlled substances across borders, investigators said.
