Thiruvananthapuram:
A man was arrested in Kerala’s Kollam district after excise officials seized 6,400 prescription painkiller tablets during a special anti-drug operation.
The accused, identified as Tintu Xavier, a resident of Eravipuram, was arrested during the Excise Department’s “Operation Thunder”, a state-wide crackdown on drug trafficking. The raid was led by Kollam Excise Inspector P Shankar.
Officials said the seized tablets included Thydol and Nitrazepam, prescription medicines that cannot legally be sold without a valid doctor’s prescription because of their high potential for abuse and addiction.
According to the Excise Department, the accused allegedly procured the tablets in bulk from other states at low prices and sold them at a premium in Kerala.
Excise officials said such prescription drugs are often misused by dissolving them in water and injecting the solution, or by consuming them with alcohol or other narcotic substances to produce an intense high.
Investigators suspect the accused is part of a larger interstate network involved in smuggling prescription drugs into Kerala through agents operating outside the state. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest others allegedly linked to the racket, officials said.
The accused was produced before a court after undergoing a medical examination on Tuesday. The Excise Department said its crackdown on the illegal trade in prescription medicines will continue.
