Nagaland Police clarifies on arrest of pharmacist

DIMAPUR — Close on the heel of shutter down called by the pharmacies following arrest of its member in Dimapur, Nagaland Police has clarified that the operation conducted was intended to fight the menace of drugs abuse and has no intention to disrupt any legally conducted business activity by pharmacies in Nagaland.

Since prescription drugs are often misused and abused, it has requested the pharmacist/ medical community also to join in the fight to eradicate drug menace from the society. It also requested the pharmacies to be careful in conducting their business and ensure that drugs are not sold without prescription.

Meanwhile, police has advised the public not to sell, purchase or transport or use restricted/ prescription drugs without advice from medical practitioner. It also advised the pharamacists and chemists not to sell prescription drugs without medical advice, which is in contravention of NDPS Act and other legal provision, which might result in not only criminal action but also cancellation of the licences.

A police report issued by the additional superintendent of police and PRO of Zunheboto Police, Vekhrolo Koza, stated that as part of its ‘War on drugs’ operation,  Zunheboto Police, basing on intelligent inputs, conducted a house raid at Inavi Colony in Aghunato town on March 23 and recovered 730 capsules of suspected Spasmo Proxyvon and 17 bottles of cough syrup and arrested three persons.

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The three arrested persons were identified as Atoka Achumi (45), Atoba Kiho (38), and Nito Achumi (38). It added that none of the arrested persons were found to have any license/ permit to sell the restricted medicines or any medical prescription for its usage.

During investigation, it was revealed that the Spasmo Proxyvon capsule and Codeine (cough syrup) bottles were sourced from a person in Dimapur, who apparently ran a pharmacy and sold restricted drugs.

Subsequently, it stated that a non-bailable warrant of arrest and search warrant was obtained from the court and carried out a search and arrest operation at Mahadev Pharma in Dimapur, which the Zunheboto Police had identified as the source of the drugs after interrogation of the accused persons.

It stated that after the search operation on the identified premises, the alleged accused namely Manoj Barman was arrested on March 27 and the searched premises (shop and godown) in Dimapur were sealed to preserve the evidence.

Report informed that investigation is being pursued to unveil the nexus in the instant case of drugs smuggling and obtaining further information about the origin and stocks of the scheduled drugs.

Further, in connection with Akuluto Police Station case no. 03/23, the SOT of Zunheboto Police seized suspected brown sugar weighing approximately 11.63 gram from the possession of one Viloto Muru, resident of ‘B’ Khel Colony in Satakha town, on March 23.