Ahmedabad, March 7 The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested three individuals for allegedly exporting the analgesic drug etomidate, mislabeling it as aloe vera powder and a personal care ingredient, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, Nikunj Gadhiya (28), Chetan Vavadiya (28), and Bhautik Padmani (32), all residents of Surat, were also in contact with members of drug cartels in Malaysia and Thailand, the ATS said in a statement.
The action followed information that certain individuals were exporting the analgesic drug to countries in Southeast Asia, where the substance is treated as a narcotic or psychotropic substance under local laws.
Officials said that Gadhiya operated through his companies DWN Bioscience, Neutral Pharma, and Om Herbs, while Padmani used his firm Jani Pharma. Similarly, Vavadiya used Rudra Enterprise to export the consignments.
The trio exported the drug via air cargo from Mumbai airport by creating fake invoices, mislabeling the product, and submitting forged customs clearance documents. Etomidate powder is treated as a controlled or prohibited substance in several countries, the statement said.
"In Thailand, it is classified as a Schedule II substance under the Psychotropic Substances Act, while in Malaysia it is listed as a Group B drug under the Poisons Act. In Singapore, it falls under Class C drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act," the statement said.
According to the website of The Lancet journal, etomidate, a short-acting anesthetic, is increasingly being misused for recreational purposes. Its rapid dissociative effects and minimal cardiorespiratory suppression appeal to adolescents, especially when repackaged into e-liquids that enable inconspicuous vaping.
Officials said that the accused mislabeled etomidate as aloe vera powder and attempted to dispatch parcels to foreign countries via air cargo. After receiving the information, the ATS informed Customs officials in Mumbai and requested that the parcels be held, the statement said.
The parcels were examined using "Raman spectroscopy," which confirmed that they contained etomidate, it said.
During preliminary interrogation, the accused admitted that they were in contact with a Malaysian drug cartel member, identified as Chua Zhi Xuan, and other groups.
The ATS said that Gadhiya had exported approximately 50 kg of etomidate by disguising it as aloe vera powder. Vavadiya sent nearly 50 kg of the drug by labeling it as "Ginopol-24 powder," a personal care ingredient, to Malaysia and Thailand.
Padmani is accused of exporting 25 kg of etomidate by mislabeling it as aloe vera powder, the statement said.
The drug was sold in foreign markets at an estimated $4,000 to 5,000 per kilogram, the ATS said, adding that the etomidate powder sent to Thailand was seized by the police there.