New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) The NCB busted a laboratory making psychotropic substance Alprazolam, and seized contraband worth Rs 3.44 crore by arresting an engineer and a former associate of the Indian Red Cross Society, an official said on Sunday.

Those arrested during the operation on Saturday were identified as Roop Singh Chauhan, 51, a B. Tech graduate from Shri Vaishnav Institute of Management and Science, Indore, and Abhijeet Singh Chauhan, 39, a B. Pharma graduate from Rishiraj College of Pharmacy, Indore, who was formerly associated with the Indian Red Cross Society, Ratlam, said the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

The Indore Zonal Unit of the federal agency stated that, after receiving a tip-off, teams maintained sustained surveillance over the suspected location near the IPCA Laboratory, Gram-Sejawata, Mhow-Neemuch Road, Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh), and monitored the movement of traffickers.

The operation culminated in the seizure of 13.762 kilograms of Alprazolam, valued at approximately Rs 3.44 crore in the illicit market, it said.

Alprazolam, regulated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, is a controlled prescription medication frequently misused as a recreational drug. It is also used in toddy adulteration (in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) and heroin adulteration (in Rajasthan, MP and adjoining areas), increasing profit margins, said a statement.

The NCB said that in addition to the narcotic drug, they seized lab equipment used in the clandestine manufacturing process, including round-bottom flasks, oil baths, condensers, stirrers, and thermometers. A significant quantity of precursor chemicals and solvents was also recovered from the site.

The NCB said that the accused Abhijeet Chauhan and Roop Singh Chauhan were partners in pharmaceutical and ayurvedic product ventures.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that both individuals used their pharmaceutical background and facilities to manufacture Alprazolam, a psychotropic substance under the NDPS Act, in violation of legal provisions,” said the statement.

They hired the warehouse located on Mhow-Neemuch Road (State Highway-31) for manufacturing Alprazolam in January 2025, the NCB said.

–IANS

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