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Dawood controls Buprenorphine smuggling Hand of Customs officers suspected Special Correspondent, Mumbai Mumbai police recently seized Buprenorphine injection IP, a medicine sold in the market under the trade name of Tidigesic and used by drug addicts, and arrested 4 people. The D-company has been smuggling this scheduled drug for many years to UAE and Mumbai police officers suspect some Customs officers have facilitated this illegal international trade. It is estimated that the value of Buprenorphine injections being smuggled from India to other countries every year is approximately Rs.900 Crore. Police suspect that Buprenorphine injections valued between Rs.1 to Rs.5 Crore are being smuggled to UAE every day. A DCP of Narcotics Branch of Mumbai Police informed, 'Buprenorphine injections are hazardous and are often taken by drug addicts. Tidigesic injections are deadlier then Buprenorphine injections, because they contain a combination of hydrochloride too.' He also said that this is a new style of narcotics smuggling hitherto unknown in India. The officer said that the Narcotics unit of Crime Branch of Mumbai Police raided Sahar Airport early in the morning on information about drugs smuggling and arrested 4 persons with 10 big size packages containing 40,000 Buprenorphine injections, evaluated at Rs.1 Crore in the world market. Customs and excise board had banned import and export of Buprenorphine injections or tablets as medicine with notification number 1/52/91-NCB, dated 26 October 1992. It is learnt that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is controlling the smuggling of Buprenorphine injections from Mumbai to UAE. This illicit trade is much safer than that of heroin or cocaine. A police officer from Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) told this reporter on the condition of anonymity, 'One can easily carry Buprenorphine injections as life saving drugs and not be stopped by Customs officials at ports. Gulf countries are taking stiff action against drugs dealers and smugglers if caught in their land, but UAE Customs officers allow Buprenorphine injections as a pharmaceutical product. ' Police estimate that Indian smugglers are pushing Buprenorphine injections worth Rs.900 Crore in the world market every year. A dose of Buprenorphine is valued at Rs.15 in India. However, Buprenorphine injections are in good demand by the addicts and are sold for 38 to 45 percent more price in the grey market. An NCB officer said, 'Buprenorphine injections are a legal product if you go by their packaging. This is the first time we have come across someone trying to smuggle them out of the country. It is likely that they have been smuggled out with the connivance of Customs officials.' A police officer said that recovered Buprenorphine injections were containing hydrochloride also, which assured that they give a greater kick to an addict than Morphine injection. These are being sold in Dubai for Rs.250 to 300 per dose. ’We came to know that there is no production company registered by the name M.J. Pharmaceutical Ltd., authorised to produce Buprenorphine injections at Halol-Baroda highway, Halol, Gujarat. This address contained on the packaging is fake,’ he said. Mohammad Intihas Abdullah, a carrier of Buprenorphine injections and whom the police had arrested, revealed that he was carrying this product the first time. ‘I thought that there was no risk involved carrying these injections out of India as lots of people were taking it out in their luggage or packed in cartons by air route. No Customs officer was taking any cognizance,' he said. The carrier, who had been smuggling various items since 1994, informed that one Ahmad of Dongri had supplied these injections to him and asked him to deliver it to one Afzal in Dubai. He was to receive Rs.4,000 for the job. He also said, 'I also thought that when Dubai Customs is not stopping this medicine, then there is no risk at all.' Three other careers arrested by Mumbai Police were Suresh Shetty (27), Tajuddin (23) and Mo. Shareef Echhilinal Kunnil (30). The agent of this group, Mustafa, disappeared from the scene when he saw the Narcotics Branch raiding party. A police officer claimed that Ahmad and Mustafa were working for Dawood gang for last many years. Mustafa is also working from Dongari. Sources informed that more than 20 Malabaris were working in the same line from Dongri. The police launched a search for Ahmad and Mustafa but their efforts were unsuccessful. Know the Buprenorphine hydrochloride : When asked whether Buprenorphine (alone and in combination) is a safe and effective treatment for drug addiction, Dr. Tulin Bhatt, a General Physician in Malad informed that Buprenorphine hydrochloride injections fall under the classification of Narcotic Agonist/Antagonist. He said that doctors in India prescribe this medicine in moderate to severe pain in heart or head. Its administration to individuals physically dependent on narcotics may result in precipitation of a withdrawal syndrome. Dr. Bhatt cautioned that the side effects of Buprenorphine could include sedation, dizziness, confusion, headache, euphoria, slurred speech, depression, paresthesia, psychosis, malaise, hallucination, coma, dysphoria, agitation, seizures, constipation, dyspepsia, loss of appetite, dry mouth, miosis, blurred vision, double vision, conjunctivitis, hypotension, bradycardia, tachycardia, Wenckebach block, decreased respiratory rate, cyanosis, dyspepsia, sweating, rashes, pruritus, flushing, urinary retention, chills and tinnitus. He also informed that Buprenorphine is generally well tolerated, but sometimes the side effects reported have included cold or flu-like symptoms, sweating aches and pains, sleeping difficulties and mood swings. He also informed that Buprenorphine is available in Indian market as a treatment for heroin dependence. It has been found to be effective in preventing the need to continue using heroin and also in treating heroin dependence by preventing withdrawal symptoms, such as cravings for heroin and blocking the effects of heroin. It ensures that using heroin will not provide the 'high' that would normally be expected, and therefore rules out one of the main reasons to use heroin. The effectiveness of any treatment, including for heroin or other opioid dependency (addiction), is more likely to be successful if Buprenorphine is part of a comprehensive treatment. …………………..……………………..…………………..………………… |
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