Customs Seizes Highly Addictive Indian-Made Painkiller Worth Rs. 10 Billion

The Collectorate of Customs Enforcement Karachi has seized a huge consignment of highly addictive Indian-made painkiller ‘Tramadol’ valued at Rs. 10 billion. Authorities carried out the raid on an abandoned warehouse in the Korangi Industrial Area in Karachi on the night of February 20-21 and recovered 21.8 million tablets and 7,000 capsules of unregistered Tramadol. Some of the seized drugs were misdeclared as vaccines. Tramadol is already regulated by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and is available only on prescription, but authorities suspect it was smuggled for illicit use in the Middle East and Africa. The drug’s potential misuse by anti-state elements is also a concern. Preliminary investigations suggest a cross-border smuggling network, with the possible involvement of clearing agents and pharmaceutical companies. The warehouse guard was detained, and further arrests are expected. Legal proceedings have begun under the Customs Act, and an FIR has been lodged. The seizure follows an earlier intelligence-led crackdown that uncovered a smuggling network involving 78 Customs officials and traffickers transporting non-duty-paid goods across Pakistan.