The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) probing an alleged international etomidate export racket have seized an additional nine kilograms of the anaesthetic drug during the probe, officials said on Wednesday. The total quantity seized in the case was 50 kilograms across India and overseas.
According to officials, the fresh recoveries were made during follow-up searches conducted after investigators shared details of the case on Tuesday. During the latest action, the investigation team seized four kilograms of etomidate from the Aramex logistics hub.
Officials said the consignment had been sent for air cargo shipment by accused Nikunj Gadhiya on March 2 through a firm named DSUN Chemicals and Pharma, which is not registered in his name. The parcel had allegedly been mislabelled and misdeclared as “aloe vera powder” and was being shipped to a key cartel member identified as Chua Zhi Xuan, officials said.
In another seizure, investigators recovered five kilograms of etomidate active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) from the office premises of Rudra Enterprises in Surat. The firm is registered in the name of the accused Chetan Vavadiya. Officials said that with the latest seizures, the total quantity recovered in the investigation now includes 30 kilograms of etomidate intercepted earlier from a logistics hub that was awaiting customs clearance, and five kilograms seized from office premises in Surat.
In addition, 15 kilograms linked to the same network were seized earlier by law enforcement authorities in Thailand. “During the course of investigation and after yesterday’s (Tuesday) press byte, two more seizures have been made by the investigation team,” officials said, adding that the consignment sent through the logistics hub had been falsely declared to conceal the nature of the substance.
The case came to light earlier this month when the Gujarat ATS uncovered a suspected network involved in exporting the anaesthetic drug to Southeast Asian countries by falsely declaring the substance as herbal or cosmetic raw materials. Investigators alleged that the accused used forged invoices and customs documents and routed consignments through air cargo facilities in Mumbai.
Authorities said the operation involved three Surat-based businessmen, including Nikunj Gadhiya, Chetan Vavadiya and Bhautik Padmani, who allegedly used multiple firms to procure and export etomidate. Etomidate is a short-acting anaesthetic used in medical settings but is treated as a controlled or psychotropic substance in several countries, including Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
Because it is not listed under India’s narcotics law, investigators say the accused exploited regulatory differences to procure the substance domestically and ship it abroad, where it commands high prices in illicit markets. Officials said the Gujarat ATS is continuing to examine financial transactions, export documents and earlier shipments handled by the accused firms to determine the scale of the operation and identify possible international links.