ELURU: Police have arrested a 28-year-old medical agency manager for allegedly purchasing, storing and selling Tramadex (Tramadol) injections illegally in Jangareddygudem.
Investigators have seized 7,550 injections hidden in a wood-carving workshop and are tracing the sale of another 12,450 injections without bills or doctors’ prescriptions.
DSP Venkateswarlu, speaking to The New Indian Express on Sunday, said Kandregula Lakshmana Sai Kishore a resident of Sai Sowjanya Nagar was arrested on September 5. Police registered a case at Jangareddygudem police station based on a complaint from the Drug Inspector.
Police said Sai Kishore runs Sri Lakshmi Srinivasa Medical Agency in Jangareddygudem and used its licence to procure around 20,000 Tramadex injections. Investigators found that he allegedly sold 12,450 injections without issuing bills or obtaining doctors’ prescriptions.
Police intensified the probe after the accused disclosed the location of the remaining stock.
Acting on the information received, the Drug Inspector and police inspected a wood-carving workshop in Dange Nagar and seized 7,550 Tramadex ampoules concealed in four carton boxes.
Police said Sai Kishore bought each injection for about Rs 5 and allegedly sold them for Rs 20 to Rs 50.
Investigators are now tracing the buyers and suppliers and checking whether he supplied the injections to individuals, medical shops and others in and around Jangareddygudem. The investigation started on September 3 after farmers found discarded syringes and Tramadex-related vials at an oil palm plantation in Vegavaram.
Some vials were used while others remained unopened. The discovery prompted Drug Control officials to trace the source of the injections.
Police are scrutinising certain aspects, including those related to purchase bills, stock registers and sales records, in order to establish the complete supply chain.
The Drug Inspector seized the agency’s stock register, invoices and licence documents and handed over attested copies to police.
