CBN Seizes 12 Cr Tramadol Tablets, Arrests 3 in Operation Vajra
Illegal export consignment meant for diversion to Libya intercepted in Delhi; three accused held from Bengaluru and Kochi
- CBN seizes 12 crore Tramadol tablets weighing 30 metric tonnes.
- Three key accused arrested from Bengaluru and Kochi under the NDPS Act.
- Consignment declared for Guinea-Bissau was allegedly meant for diversion to Libya.
- Operation Vajra foils one of India’s biggest synthetic opioid trafficking attempts.
GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 21st July: The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) has seized 12 crore high-strength Tramadol Hydrochloride tablets weighing nearly 30 metric tonnes and arrested three key suspects in a major crackdown on an alleged international drug trafficking network under “Operation Vajra.”
The operation, conducted between July 10 and 20 by CBN teams from Gwalior with support from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and other agencies, led to the seizure of the entire consignment from a warehouse in Delhi and the arrest of one accused in Bengaluru and two others in Kochi.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the export consignment was officially declared as being destined for Guinea-Bissau, but investigations revealed it was allegedly intended to be diverted to Libya, preventing what authorities described as a massive influx of illicit synthetic opioids into an active conflict zone.
CBN said its risk-based export control mechanism detected multiple red flags during scrutiny of the shipment. Subsequent verification, carried out in coordination with the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and authorities in Guinea-Bissau, confirmed that the declared destination had allegedly been misrepresented.
Following the findings, CBN launched coordinated enforcement operations that resulted in the arrest of the director of a Bengaluru-based limited liability partnership involved in the export. Further investigation led investigators to Kerala, where two additional alleged conspirators were apprehended in Kochi after attempts to evade law enforcement.
All three accused have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and further investigation is underway.
The government said the successful execution of Operation Vajra demonstrates the effectiveness of intelligence-led enforcement, international cooperation and inter-agency coordination in dismantling transnational organised drug trafficking networks.
The Ministry added that the operation reinforces India’s commitment to protecting global pharmaceutical supply chains and advancing the government’s vision of a “Nasha Mukt Bharat.”
