Manipur Police Seize 15,000 Tramadol Capsules as Addicts Shift to Opioid Analgesics

Manipur Police have arrested two people, including a 40-year-old woman, in connection with the seizure of a large consignment of addiction-causing pharmaceutical drugs from Lilong in Thoubal district on September 14.

Officers recovered 50 boxes holding 15,000 capsules of Tramadol Hydrochloride Tramanil, weighing roughly 7 kg, from the duo. The consignment was allegedly meant for illegal distribution to specific clients.

The seizure comes nearly a month after a young man died at a drug rehabilitation centre in Imphal. He had reportedly been injecting crushed Tapentadol tablets, an opioid analgesic described as three times more potent than Tramadol. Another Tapentadol user was later admitted to the same centre with a serious infection caused by injections.

A shift in drug use

For anti-narcotic officials and counsellors in the State, the two episodes confirmed a pattern they had suspected: users moving away from heroin and other narcotics toward opioid analgesics that are legally available as prescription pain medication.

A police officer said investigations were under way to establish the source and intended destination of the Tramadol capsules and to determine how deeply the arrested pair was involved in possessing or distributing the drug.

Police and drug enforcement agencies said they did not have immediate data on seizures of opioid analgesics sold or ferried illegally in Manipur. They indicated, however, that price could be driving the substitution away from methamphetamine and heroin, locally called No. 4.

Narcotics prices have climbed sharply since Manipur was engulfed by violence in May 2023. Local media reports put the cost of a vial of heroin at close to ₹5,000, while a strip of Tramadol or Tapentadol sells for anywhere between ₹40 and ₹400, depending on strength, brand and manufacturer.

Dependence risk

Krishanu Krori, a Guwahati-based medicine specialist, said Tramadol and Tapentadol are painkilling compounds derived from opium alkaloids. Taken for pain relief, they produce a sense of well-being but can lead to dependence if used continuously for a few weeks, he said.

Users typically begin with 50-100 mg and later increase the dose through injections, he added. Beyond euphoria, they develop disinterest in daily activities, withdraw from family and society, and show a craving for violence.

Counsellors in Manipur said pharmacists should strictly enforce prescription requirements and health authorities should track emerging patterns of Tramadol and Tapentadol misuse. Hospitals and rehabilitation centres, they said, need updated guidance on dependence, withdrawal and the complications linked to misuse and injection.

The problem is not confined to the northeast. In August, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence uncovered an organised network allegedly involved in the clandestine manufacture, concealment and illegal export of such drugs, a scheduled psychotropic substance, to African countries. The operation at the Mumbai Air Cargo Complex led to the seizure of 1 lakh Tramadol Hydrochloride tablets, 1 lakh Tapentadol tablets, machinery and raw materials, and the arrest of three key members of the syndicate.