ગુજરાતી
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Gujarat industry for making drugs used in diseases and for intoxication Gujarat Industry Manufacturing Medicines Used for Recreational Drug Abuse
Case Registered Against Factory Producing Medicinal Drugs Used for Recreational Abuse; What Action Has Been Taken?
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, May 28, 2026
On May 1, 2026, raids were conducted on Esteem Enterprises and other companies in Ahmedabad involved in the unlicensed trading of drugs. During these raids, 1,000 kg of bulk drugs—valued at ₹21.50 lakh—were seized. As of May 28, 2026, the Gujarat Drugs Department has not yet released details regarding the subsequent investigation into this matter.
**What is the Medicine?**
Its sale and usage are subject to strict controls. In 2026, the Government of India classified Pregabalin as a Schedule H1 drug, thereby subjecting it to even stricter regulations. It cannot be sold without a doctor’s prescription, and medical stores are required to maintain records of its sales.
It is used to treat nerve pain (neuropathy), nerve pain associated with diabetes, sciatica, and pain resulting from spinal cord injuries, among other conditions.
Doctors typically prescribe it for conditions such as epilepsy (seizures), brain strokes, chronic body pain and fatigue, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), anxiety and panic attacks, as well as for post-operative or chronic pain management.
**How Does the Medicine Work?**
Pregabalin works by calming down excessive “electrical signals” and pain signals within the brain and nerves. Consequently, symptoms such as pain, burning sensations, tingling, or seizures are alleviated.
**Use for Recreational Abuse**
Some individuals misuse this drug by administering it via injection. When Pregabalin is consumed in high doses or in combination with other medications, it can induce dizziness, excessive drowsiness, a euphoric “high,” a sense of deep physical relaxation, and vertigo. The risks associated with this drug are significantly heightened when it is consumed alongside alcohol, opioid drugs, Tramadol, marijuana, or other medications. Potential side effects include addiction, loss of consciousness, slowed breathing, and mental confusion.
**Those Responsible**
Involved in the pharmaceutical scam were Nimesh Shah (owner of Esteem Enterprise, Bharuch), Harish Ashwin Joshi (Production Executive), Pravin Patel (owner of Axis Pharma Chem, Ankleshwar, Bharuch), Bhavesh Ghanshyam Chalodiya (owner of Iconic Pharma Chem, Panoli, Bharuch), and Lalit Phula Raiyani (owner of Bio Chrome Analytical Lab, Ankleshwar).
4,300 kg of Pregabalin was sold for ₹86 lakh.
Axis Pharma Chem (Ankleshwar)—owned by Pravin Patel—and the partners of Iconic Pharma Chem (including Bhavesh and others) did not possess the necessary licenses to manufacture pharmaceuticals at the Iconic Pharma Chem chemical facility in Panoli.
Axis Pharma utilized its own license to procure Pregabalin IP from Iconic Pharma without generating any supporting documentation; it charged a commission of ₹200 per kg, affixed its own labels to the product, and issued sales invoices.
The product testing was conducted by Bio Chrome Analytical Lab PTL in Ankleshwar. However, they generated the test reports via WhatsApp.
Esteem Enterprises established a branch in Bharuch and engaged in the unlicensed sale of Pregabalin API and other API chemicals. They generated test reports internally on their computers and proceeded to sell the APIs. 35 kg of the drug was seized.
**Codeine**
ISMO was illegally selling Codeine-based syrup; additionally, ISMO was selling counterfeit versions of Sun Pharma’s *Levipil 500* tablets. Furthermore, a clandestine factory manufacturing unlicensed, counterfeit allopathic medicines was uncovered in Gandhinagar.
**Shree Healthcare**
A facility operating under the guise of a cosmetics business in Surat—Shree Healthcare—was busted for selling counterfeit allopathic medicines online via Amazon. An investigation into the APIs used in the manufacturing of these medicines is currently underway. Major Crimes
Abbott Healthcare—the largest company in the sector—garnered the most attention regarding its product, Phensedyl. An investigation was conducted into the supply of 22 million bottles of the drug.
Major Cases During 2024–2026
In 2025, Codeine syrup and Tramadol worth ₹25.54 lakh were seized in Vadodara.
In 2025, 500 kg of Tramadol—valued at approximately ₹50 crore—was seized in Dholka, Ahmedabad.
In 2024, Liquid Tramadol API worth ₹31 crore was seized in Dahej, Bharuch.
In 2024, 6.8 million Tramadol tablets—valued at ₹110 crore—were seized at Adani’s Mundra Port in Kutch.
Over a 4-Year Period:
A report by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs states that between 2018 and 2021, 1,208 cases involving Tramadol and Buprenorphine were registered in Gujarat. The breakdown of these 1,208 total crimes is as follows: 150 cases in 2018, 289 in 2019, 308 in 2020, and 461 in 2021.
Narcotic Drugs Seized in 2025
In the Danilimda case in Ahmedabad, 285 bottles of Codeine syrup were seized.
In Vadodara, Codeine syrup and Tramadol worth ₹25.54 lakh were seized.
In Vadodara, a distribution network involving 5 million bottles was busted.
In Surat, an inspection of a medical store led to the seizure of 108 bottles of Codeine syrup.
In Valsad, 45 cases were registered against the misuse of medicines, and one case was filed under the NDPS Act. In 2026, 107 bottles of codeine syrup were seized in Bagodara, Ahmedabad, and two arrests were made under the NDPS Act.
In 2026, 108 bottles of codeine or alprazolam were seized. (Google translation from Gujarati; please refer to the original report.)
