The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Friday, 25 June seized 2.08 lakh Tramadol tablets with an estimated international illicit market value of ₹8.32 crore and arrested an alleged interstate drug trafficker from Rajasthan. Preliminary interrogation has revealed that the accused allegedly procured and distributed more than 62.54 lakh tablets across multiple states in just over a month.

How the Operation Unfolded

Deputy Superintendent of Police S.L. Chaudhary received intelligence that Paresh Jain, originally from Sadri, Rajasthan and residing in Pardi, Valsad district, had been engaged in the illegal trade of the psychotropic substance Tramadol for a considerable period. The tip was verified through technical surveillance and human intelligence before being escalated to senior ATS officers.

Investigators established that on 25 June, Jain allegedly dispatched a consignment of Tramadol tablets from Ankleshwar to Pali, Rajasthan, aboard an M.R. Travels luxury bus. The consignment was booked under the name New Mahavir Medical using tax invoices that falsely declared the shipment as other medicines.

Acting on the intelligence, Gujarat ATS — assisted by the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch and the Special Operations Group (SOG) — intercepted the bus after it reached the M.R. Travels office near Namaste Circle in Shahibaug around midnight. Officers recovered six cardboard cartons containing 416 smaller boxes labelled 'TRAMADOL HYDROCHLORIDE I.P. TABLETS 100 MG – SCOVIDOL-100 TABLETS', comprising 4,160 strips and totalling 2.08 lakh tablets.

Accused Tracked Down in Udaipur

Jain reportedly fled to Rajasthan after the consignment was intercepted. A second ATS team tracked him down and arrested him in Gogunda, Udaipur district. Police have secured seven days' custody of the accused for further interrogation.

According to ATS, preliminary questioning indicates that since obtaining a medical stockist licence in May, Jain allegedly procured 62.54 lakh Tramadol tablets in 25 batches and sold them in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Officers alleged that, despite holding a legitimate stockist licence, he was primarily engaged in trading Tramadol outside legal channels.

What the ATS Said

ATS DIG Sunil Joshi said the seizure was the result of continuous intelligence gathering and coordination among multiple law enforcement agencies. 'Everyone is aware that both the central and state governments follow a zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics. All departments and agencies are working together to protect the country from the menace of drugs,' he said.

Joshi confirmed that searches at locations linked to the accused were planned to identify additional consignments and trace the wider supply network. 'We expect that the supply chain may involve additional persons in Rajasthan and other states, who may also become accused in the case,' he added.

Prior Criminal Record and Wider Network

Joshi disclosed that Jain had previously been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Haridwar, Uttarakhand and Thane, Maharashtra in separate Codeine cough syrup cases, before being released on bail in both instances. His name had also surfaced in a Gujarat ATS mephedrone case registered in Vapi approximately a month ago, in which four people were arrested and 2.38 kg of the drug was seized.

On the supply chain, Joshi said the Tramadol appeared to have been legally purchased from Uttarakhand at the initial stage but was allegedly diverted through fraudulent documentation. He noted that following a central government notification issued around 2018, possession of Tramadol above the notified quantity falls under the narcotics category under the NDPS Act.

What Happens Next

Investigators are pursuing searches at multiple locations linked to the accused. ATS has indicated it will rope in other agencies if the probe expands across state lines. The seven-day remand period is expected to yield details about procurement sources, distribution networks, and any co-conspirators in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.