Illegal Tramadol trade: ED charges Lucent drugs for bypassing Pakistan export ban
Hyderabad: Enforcement Directorate (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office has filed a Prosecution Complaint (PC) before the Special PMLA Court, Hyderabad against M/s Lucent Drugs Pvt. Ltd. and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The Court took cognizance of the PC on 06.08.2025.
The anti-money laundering agency initiated an investigation on the basis of a complaint filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Bengaluru Zonal Unit under section 36A of the NDPS Act, 1985 for contravention in relation to psychotropic substances, their illegal export from India, contravention of orders made under the NDPS Act, 1985, and forgery of records and documents relating to the various export authorisations undertaken by M/s Lucent Drugs Pvt. Ltd., its Managing Director Vinod Jain, Associate Vice-President Devarasetty Sai Vikas, Logistics and Sales Executive Gangula Eswara Rao & others.
The premier central probe revealed that M/s Lucent Drugs Pvt. Ltd. has been, inter alia, in the business of manufacture and export of Tramadol to its overseas clients including those based in Pakistan. The company initially got NOC from the Central Bureau of Narcotics to export Tramadol to Pakistan. However, subsequently, the Central Bureau of Narcotics denied approval for the export of Tramadol to Pakistan. In order to bypass the prohibition on the export of Tramadol to Pakistan, the accused persons illegally re-exported 13,800 Kgs of Tramadol valued at Rs. 4.12 Crore (approx.) to Pakistan through their overseas client M/s CHR Olesen Pharmaceuticals – a Denmark-based company and 5000 Kgs of Tramadol valued at Rs. 1.34 Crore (approx.) to Pakistan through M/s SM Biomed – a Malaysia-based company and received export proceeds. As a result of the illegal export of Tramadol to Pakistan, M/s Lucent Drugs Pvt. Ltd. generated and received Proceeds of Crime (POC) totalling Rs. 5.46 Crore (approx.) in its bank accounts.
Further probe revealed that POC were intermingled in the business operations of M/s Lucent Drugs Pvt. Ltd. and were projected as untainted in the form of legitimate sales proceeds from other countries. ED had earlier attached immovable properties including buildings and factory premises worth Rs. 5.46 Crore belonging to M/s Lucent Drugs Pvt. Ltd.
