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Etomidate Export Ring Crushed by ATS
7 Mar
Summary
- Three Surat residents arrested for exporting etomidate.
- Drug disguised as aloe vera powder for international sale.
- International drug cartels were allegedly involved in the scheme.
An anti-terrorism squad (ATS) has dismantled an international drug smuggling operation involving three residents of Surat: Nikunj Gadhiya, Chetan Vavadiya, and Bhautik Padmani. These individuals are accused of exporting etomidate, an anesthetic increasingly misused for recreational purposes, to Southeast Asian countries.
The accused allegedly disguised the drug as aloe vera powder, preparing fake bills and forged customs documents to export it through air cargo from Mumbai airport. Their operations utilized companies like DWN Bioscience and Jani Pharma.
Etomidate is a controlled substance in several countries. In Thailand, it's a Schedule II substance, in Malaysia a Group B drug, and in Singapore a Class C drug. The ATS learned that the accused were in contact with members of drug cartels in Malaysia and Thailand.
Investigations revealed that Gadhiya exported approximately 50 kg, Vavadiya nearly 50 kg, and Padmani 25 kg of etomidate. The drug was sold abroad for an estimated $4,000 to $5,000 per kilogram. Authorities were alerted by intelligence, leading to the interception and examination of suspicious parcels, which confirmed the presence of etomidate.
