Patna: Patna Police have arrested seven individuals and busted a sophisticated, year-long illegal network responsible for trafficking drug needles and sleeping pills across the city. The operation, spanning from Kankarbagh to Patna City, resulted in the recovery of an unprecedented haul of 15,711 drug needles and approximately 76,380 sleeping pills.
The arrests and seizures are a direct result of a special campaign against drug abuse initiated by SSP Kartikeya K. Sharma, who had previously issued a dedicated WhatsApp number for public information.
Tracing the Supply Chain
The investigation commenced on October 17th after police received intelligence about the sale of drug injections in a slum in Kankarbagh.
- Initial Arrests: A team led by Police Station Officer Ajay Kumar and a Drug Inspector raided the Kankarbagh slum, arresting Ganesh Kumar, Chhotu Kumar, Bittu Kumar, Sahil Kumar, and Nitish Kumar. They recovered 102 drug needles and 25 liters of country liquor. The accused immediately implicated Brajesh Kumar of Alamganj as their supplier.
- The Supplier’s House: The subsequent raid on Brajesh Kumar’s rented house in Alamganj, Patna City, yielded 700 drug needles and a substantial cash recovery of Rs4,38,218.
- The Illegal Warehouse: Under interrogation, Brajesh revealed the location of a large warehouse in PC Colony, Kankarbagh. The final raid on this location led to the largest seizure: 14,909 drug needles and 76,380 sleeping pills. Police arrested the warehouse owner, Rahul Kumar, bringing the total number of arrests to seven.
Unlicensed and Unrestricted Trade
Police confirmed that neither the arrested individuals nor the operation held any valid license to stock or sell pharmaceutical supplies. Warehouse owner Rahul Kumar was operating the facility illegally.
The recovered injections and medicines are restricted items, illegal to possess without a license and to sell without a doctor’s prescription. The syndicate was found to be importing the large consignment of supplies from Delhi, storing them in the unlicensed warehouse, and then distributing them throughout Patna according to demand. The police believe the accused had been operating the trade for over a year.
The SSP reiterated the police’s commitment to aggressively pursuing those involved in the illicit drug trade to safeguard public health and tackle drug abuse in the region.
