K. Velusamy, 29, a lathe worker from Velandipalayam, walked into the Saibaba Colony police station on Wednesday with a complaint that is little heard of.
Mr. Velusamy complained that he was unable to go for work due to after-effects of an injection administered by a youth for ₹50 at a deserted place near Kovilmedu the previous evening. The police conducted a surprise check at the place on Wednesday evening and arrested D. Saravanakumar (28), an engineering graduate from Edayarpalayam, who administered the injection on Mr. Velusamy.
The police seized a powder substance of around 250 g from Saravanakumar which was later identified as powdered tablets of tapentadol, a pain reliever used to treat moderate to acute pain. According to the police, Saravanakumar had been injecting a solution made of the tapentadol powder to his customers for ₹50 and above.
As per Mr. Velusamy’s complaint, he went to a Tasmac outlet near Kovilmedu on Tuesday evening to get liquor. While trying to find another person to buy a quarter bottle of liquor, as he had just ₹100 with him, a known person told him that a quarter costs ₹135 whereas an injection available near the locality costs only ₹50. The person told him that the effect of the injection lasts for a day.
Based on the tip-off, Mr. Velusamy went to the deserted area near Thavasi Nagar – Shastri Street junction where Saravanakumar gave him the injection.
According to Mr. Velusamy, the solution injected on his body gave a quick high and he went to his house and slept. However, as per his complaint, he could not get up the next morning due to body pain. He went to the same place again and found that Saravanakumar was giving the injection to minor boys, following which he decided to lodge a complaint. Saravanakumar was arrested for offence under Section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence) of the Indian Penal Code.
Saibaba Colony inspector P.K. Regina said that the accused had sourced the drug online. These drugs can be purchased from a pharmacy only with a prescription from a registered medical practitioner.
This is not an isolated case as the city police have recently come across several cases of illegal sale and abuse of prescription drugs such as tapentadol and nitrazepam, which are used to treat insomnia and sleeping disorders.
On July 2, the Race Course police arrested two persons who were found in possession of 200 tablets of tapentadol and 390 tablets of nitrazepam. On the same day the Podanur police arrested four persons with 150 tapentadol tablets, 40 nitrazepam tablets, sodium chloride injection and syringes from Zam Zam Nagar.
“We are seeing an increase in such cases following the State-wide crackdown on ganja. Persons who were engaged in the sale of ganja could have changed their trade. Same could be the case of ganja users and they could have started looking for alternatives,” said a senior police officer.
A senior government doctor said that these drugs could be misused to get an euphoric effect by injecting them into a vein directly (intravenous) or to a muscle (intramuscular). “Intravenous injection could be dangerous if there are impurities in the solution administered as it is directly administered into a vein. An intramuscular injection gives a rather slow effect. Abuse of these drugs will definitely result in side-effects and other health issues,” said the doctor, who did not want to be named.
According to him, these injections could be used for rave parties, too, and use of a syringe for more than one person could lead to other risks.
