Two arrested at Mumbai airport for trying to export 217.5 kg of ketamine
The Special Investigation and Intelligence Branch (SIIB) Export unit at the Mumbai airport arrested a pharmaceutical company manager and a customs broker for attempting to illegally export 217.5 kilograms of Ketamine Hydrochloride to South Korea. The arrests were made after customs officials detained the consignment at the airport.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sreekant Sreedhan, the sales and marketing manager and authorised representative of Supriya Lifescience Ltd, and Uday Anant Tayshete, the proprietor of the customs broker firm. Supriya Lifescience Ltd is a listed pharmaceutical company.
According to customs officials, the action was taken based on specific intelligence. Officers detained the consignment, which was bound for the Republic of Korea. Upon physical examination of the cargo, officials discovered eight drums containing ketamine hydrochloride USPNF. The total weight of the seized substance was 217.5 kilograms.
Ketamine hydrochloride is a dissociative general anesthetic primarily used in medical and veterinary settings to induce loss of consciousness and relieve pain. Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, it is classified as a controlled psychotropic substance in India. The government placed it under the NDPS schedule to curb its illicit diversion and recreational use.
Exporting this controlled substance requires a valid no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Narcotic Commissioner of the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN). When the officials asked the company to produce the mandatory documentation for the shipment, they presented an expired NOC. Investigators found that the required clearance certificate had already expired on May 31.
Because the exporters did not possess a valid NOC from the Narcotic Commissioner as required under the NDPS Act rules, the export of the chemical was prohibited, leading to the seizure of the drums and the subsequent arrest of Sreedhan and Tayshete.
