On the 20th of June, Srinagar saw an aggressive raid on the district’s courier firms after getting credible information regarding the airlifting of consignments containing intoxicating substances. The courier agencies were targeted in this operation.
Deputy Drug Controller Nighat Jabeen was in charge of the operation that was carried out during the raid.
During the aforementioned activity, the formed team of Drug control officers consisted of Sameer Sajad, Rumeesa Mohammad, Imtiyaz Ahmad Shalla, and Shaila Farooqi. They carried out a surprise raid at one of the courier companies that was located in the neighbourhood of the District Srinagar.
During the operation, the team was able to seize 23000 pills of various brands of tapentadol, which had a total worth of about Rs 670000. An inquiry is being conducted on the specifics of the consignee and consignor that are specified on the consignment.
Analgesic tapetadol is classified as a schedule H1 opioid, meaning it may only be obtained legally with a valid prescription from a registered medical practitioner (RMP). The Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 requires that a record of the sale of this medication be kept by retaining a copy of the prescription for the purpose of the record and also keeping a record of the sale in the form of a cash memo or credit memo. This provision was included in the act in 1940. In recent times, it has come to light that teenagers are using these medications with the intention of developing an addiction to them.
The relevant procedures of the rules are now being completed by the department, and in due course of time, all such individuals who have connived in the omission or violation will be booked under the law. This process is currently ongoing.
The efforts of the team have been recognised and praised by the Deputy Drug Controller for Kashmir, who said that the department would see the issue through to its natural conclusion.
In addition, she has said that the department would continue similar activities in the future and eliminate the threat posed by drug addiction to the utmost contentment of the Government.
She has made a request to the Pharma trade and courier trade agencies to provide information on unlawful activities of such a kind to the departmental authorities, in the hopes that the scourge of drug addiction, which has developed into a societal evil, will be removed from the community.
