New Delhi
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has busted an illegal laboratory producing the psychotropic drug Alprazolam in Madhya Pradesh, seizing contraband worth Rs 3.44 crore and arresting two individuals, officials said on Sunday.
The arrested were identified as Roop Singh Chauhan, 51, a B.Tech graduate, and Abhijeet Singh Chauhan, 39, a B.Pharm graduate and former associate of the Indian Red Cross Society in Ratlam. Both were partners in pharmaceutical and ayurvedic ventures and allegedly used their expertise to produce the drug illegally.
The Indore Zonal Unit of the NCB conducted the operation after receiving a tip-off and maintaining continuous surveillance near the IPCA Laboratory on Mhow-Neemuch Road, Ratlam. Authorities monitored the movements of traffickers before raiding the site on Saturday.
During the raid, officials seized 13.762 kilograms of Alprazolam, valued at approximately Rs 3.44 crore in the illicit market. The agency also recovered lab equipment including round-bottom flasks, oil baths, condensers, stirrers, thermometers, along with a significant quantity of precursor chemicals and solvents used in drug production.
Alprazolam, regulated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, is a prescription medication frequently misused recreationally. It has also been reportedly used in toddy adulteration in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and in heroin adulteration in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and surrounding areas, increasing illegal profits.
The NCB stated that the accused had rented the warehouse on State Highway 31 in January 2025 to manufacture Alprazolam. Preliminary investigations revealed that the operation was carried out in clear violation of legal provisions, leveraging the suspects’ pharmaceutical knowledge and facilities.