Further investigations in the multi-crore drug haul case has developed operational leads with the Punjab Police achieving major successes in uncovering of two important supply chains of precursor chemicals — ephedrine and pseudoephedrine — used in manufacture of synthetic drug Ice (M-amphetamine).
The police have arrested Jagjit Singh Chahal and Manjinder Singh Aulakh — both residents of Amritsar district — in this connection after disclosures made by synthetic drug racket kingpin and mastermind Jagdish Bhola who was arrested recently. “Jagjit Singh Chahal is operating three factories manufacturing precursor chemicals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine which are diverted illegally from the medicine sector to manufacture of the synthetic drug ICE,” stated Patiala SSP HS Mann. He added that Chahal’s factories — MBP Pharmaceuticals limited in Baddi, Montek Bio-Pharma limited at Baddi, and Tulip Formulations, Damtal, near Pathankot — have been uncovered which were manufacturing these precursors.
The SSP said the police parties have raided these factories and drug inspectors from the State Food and Supply department have also been associated with these raids. “The entire stock and equipment are being thoroughly checked to examine the modus operandi of the illegal diversion of precursor chemical from medicine sector to illegal manufacture of synthetic drugs,” added the district police chief. Two kilos of pseudoephedrine worth Rs 2 crore, and 250 gm of Ice worth Rs 1.25 crore has been recovered from Chahal, and another two kilos of pseudoephedrine worth
Rs 2 crore has been recovered from Aulakh alias Bittu Aulakh. Mann said Chahal was supplying the precursor chemicals to the drug lord Bhola and others through a go-between person who has been identified and raids are being conducted to nab him. Bittu Aulakh was operating an independent supply chain of the precursor chemicals for Bhola and was procuring these from the medicine sector and supplying them to Jagdish Bhola.