Hyderabad: About Rs 5 crore worth Alprazolam has been seized, followed by four arrests after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted surprise raids at four different locations in Telangana that included Nalgonda and Medak districts.
According to the sources, the drug was illegally manufactured. About 600kgs of drug material was seized of which the finished product was about 18.55 kgs.
“Culprits were manufacturing the ingredients of alprazolam and sending it for processing to a shed in Narsapur of Medak district. The chemical named orthoxylene was stored at a guest house located at Isnapur near Patancheru. Another 197 Kg of intermediate material was recovered from the residence of one of a person involved in the said illegal activity,” said the sources.
The drug Alprazolam has been identified as a psychotropic substance. The four accused arrested were booked under the NDPS Act.
Other than Alprazolam, Diazepam is also used to increase the intoxication level by mixing them in liquor which was widely used in Telangana.
CM KCR approving the excise policy for the state in 2015 took measures to stop the illicit and adulterated liquor since many villagers were addicted to the chemically infused liquor for years which ended in hundreds of them waiting outside government hospitals.
Most patients lost their senses and in extreme case, patients fell into the coma when the drug was withdrawn from them.