Special Task Force busts spurious drug racket worth Rs 7.35 crore, arrests one person

With the inputs of the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department, the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh has busted one of the major spurious drug rackets worth Rs 7.35 crore and arrested one person.

The arrested person has been identified as Ashok Kumar, the official said.

"As another substantial step towards containment of spurious drug circulation, ground-level action on Uttar Pradesh (UP) link established the suspicion of Odisha's State Task Force (STF)," the official said on Thursday, adding that based on the inputs provided by Odisha Govt in Health and Family Welfare department to the UP government, UP STF raided a house under Sigra Police station on March 1.

All spurious drug items seized from Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts of Odisha by Odisha STF were seized from the house of one Ashok Kumar, a resident of Bulandshahar under Secunderabad police station.

Based on his confession, another go-down under Lahattara police station was also raided from where huge quantities of spurious drugs amounting to around Rs 7.35 cr were seized.

According to the official statement, cash amounting to Rs 4 lakhs was also recovered from the spot. The raids exhumed what is said to be "one of the biggest spurious drug rackets" in the near past.

It may be pertinent here to mention that the Odisha government constituted an inter-state investigating team in mid-February this year, and deputed them to UP to carry forward the investigation.

Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Shalini Pandit requested her counterpart in UP Government urging their cooperation in the matter.

"With inputs from Odisha Team, UP STF conducted the raids. As of now, the subsequent interrogation is going on, and STF is carrying forward its activities," it added.

( With inputs from ANI )