Rs one crore oxytocin smuggling racket busted in Lucknow, two arrested

Lucknow, Nov 10 (IANS) The Special Task Force (STF) has busted a large-scale racket involved in the illegal manufacturing and smuggling of oxytocin injections and arrested two people from Ujariyaon village in Lucknow's Gomti Nagar area, police said on Monday.

The arrests were made following a raid at a house in Ujariyaon village, where the illegal operation was being run. According to STF officials, one of the arrested individuals is the kingpin of the racket.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (STF) Deepak Singh said that for several months, toxic oxytocin injections were being produced and distributed across Lucknow, nearby districts, and other states, including Bihar and Delhi.

"The gang members imported the raw powder from China and mixed it with phenol, urea, salt, vinegar, and colour to prepare the injections," Singh stated.

He added that the seized injections are estimated to be worth around Rs one crore.

The arrested accused have been identified as Qayum Ali, a resident of Malakpur village in Baghpat district's Baraut area, and his associate Mohammad Ibrahim, a resident of Madeyganj Kadam, Rasool Ward.

The house where the injections were being manufactured is located in the same area, police said.

Based on intelligence inputs, Inspector Harish Chauhan's team from the STF conducted surveillance and raided the location on Sunday afternoon, arresting Qayum and Ibrahim.

Several oxytocin injections and the raw materials used in their production were recovered from the site.

According to DSP Singh, Qayum disclosed during interrogation that the injection powder was procured from China via courier, which first reached Loni Katra in Ghaziabad and was later transported to Lucknow.

The finished injections were then supplied to various states through a network of agents who sold them to dairies, vegetable vendors, and farmers.

The injections were administered to animals to boost milk production, while some farmers reportedly used the chemical-mixed water to wash vegetables, making them appear fresher and shinier to fetch higher prices.

Singh warned that consumption of milk or vegetables treated with oxytocin could cause severe health issues, including cancer and other chronic diseases.

Samples of the recovered material have been sent to a laboratory for testing.

During the raid, STF recovered 1,018 vials (180 ml each) of oxytocin injection, 70 litres of oxytocin solution (14 cans of five litres each), 55 litres of phenol, 27 litres of vinegar, 16,500 empty vials, nine cap sealers, 3,000 blue aluminium caps, 3,000 red aluminium caps, 2,500 rubber caps, 19 kg salt, a PhonePe scanner, three mobile phones, and Rs 790 in cash.

Police said investigations are ongoing. Further details are awaited.

--IANS

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