TRICHY: Police have found that inter-state smuggling of tapent adol tablets through courier parcels, and peddlers travel-ling to other states to buy in bulk are key drivers of the increasing drug abuse involving painkiller tab-lets in Trichy city.Two special teams of city police have been formed to curtail the drug abuse while the state drug administra-tion department has written to its counterparts in three states seeking information on the distribution net-work of tapentadol tablet manufactur ers to ascertain whether those tablets are peddled into Tamil Nadu.In the last 45 days, Trichy city police have booked 43 cases of tapentadol peddling, arresting 68 accused and seiz-ing 17,909 tablets, highest since 2024.After two suspected drug abuse deaths rocked the city last month, police swung into action to trace the tablet peddlers.Tapentadol is a painkiller cautiously prescribed by doctors after evaluating a patient’s conditions, mostly to those who have undergone surgery.However, youths have been misusing it to get a high, particularly in the last two years.In the last four days, police have busted two separate peddling rackets, one involving arrest of brothers with 1,200 tablets in Palakkarai, another involv-ing two youths with 15,000 tablets in Big Bazaar street.Drug administra tion department said youths purchase tapentadol in bulk from other states to make a fast buck.
“Local shops are not selling this tablet without a valid prescription. Youngsters go to other states to buy them. Since police investigation can track and trace the source of tablets, peddlers are now removing details of tablets printed behind the strips,” an official with TN food safety and drug administration department said.State drug controllers of Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra have been approached for information about supply chain and distribution network of tapentadol manufacturers.One of the bulk seizures of tapen-tadol revealed that youths bought tablets from Nagpur, which were manufactured in Gujarat. Some of the tablets were manufactured in 2024, and expires in 2027.“Peddlers use fake addresses and mobile num-bers for couriering tablets in parcels. We have booked eight accused under Goon-das Act in the last few months,” a senior police officer said. Bulk buyers also rent houses, to supply tablets to peddlers in the city.Purchased at 12-15 per tablet, the ped-dled tapentadol is being sold at Rs 150-200 per tablet to addicts.
“Tapentadol misuse can rapidly lead to dependence, severe withdraw-al symptoms, and life-threatening respiratory depression. Chronic abuse is also associated with cognitive impairment and a high risk of fatal overdose, particularly when com-bined with alcohol or sedatives,” Dr Mohamed Hakkim, member, mental health review board, Trichy, said.Officials said policy decisions to restrict production and supervise movement of tapentadol tablets can only curtail the life-threatening drug abuse.
