Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested two more suspects and seized 22kg of the banned psychotropic substance etomidate as part of its ongoing investigation into an international drug export racket. The syndicate allegedly shipped the substance to Southeast Asian countries by mislabelling it as herbal or cosmetic products.The arrests relate to an offence registered on March 7 under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Investigators say the racket illegally exported etomidate powder from Mumbai airport to several countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, using forged documents and false declarations.On Friday, the ATS arrested Surat-based businessman Nikunj Gadhiya, 28, identified as the alleged key operator of the racket. Two more accused — Chetan Vavadiya and Bhautik Padmani — were detained on Sunday for their suspected roles in sourcing and exporting the contraband.According to officials, the accused used fake invoices and customs documents, falsely declaring consignments as aloe vera powder, Ginopol-24 powder, and other cosmetic raw materials to evade scrutiny.“Searches at offices linked to the accused led to the recovery of purchase bills and stock registers confirming that etomidate was being mislabelled and exported,” an ATS officer said.During interrogation, Gadhiya allegedly revealed that he arranged six parcels weighing 25.5kg for export to Malaysia on Feb 28 via Mumbai air cargo, of which about 22kg was etomidate powder. The parcels, declared as aloe vera samples, were intercepted after intelligence alerts were shared with customs and the courier company.Police inspector V N Bharwad examined the seized parcels using a Raman spectrograph drug detector, confirming the presence of etomidate.Officials said the substance is classified as a psychotropic or controlled drug in several Southeast Asian countries, where it fetches high prices, making the operation highly lucrative.The ATS is now expanding its probe to trace the broader network responsible for procuring the drug, preparing fraudulent export documents, and coordinating overseas deliveries. Investigators are also reviewing previous shipments handled by the accused firms to assess the scale of the operation and identify potential international links.
