KOCHI: The Ernakulam Additional Sessions Court on Tuesday awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment to two persons convicted of peddling 26 ampoules (52 grams) of Buprenorphine. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them.

Pronouncing the judgment, the court convicted Nawas K. and Anil Jain for the possession, storage and financing of the psychotropic substances under Sections 22(c), 25, 27(A), 28 and 29 of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act.

The case pertains to recovery of 26 ampoules from the residential premises of Nawas at Kaloor during a raid by the Narcotics Control Bureau officials in December 2015.

During interrogation, Nawas told the NCB sleuths that he had purchased around 3.000 Buprenorphine ampoules from Anil in August 2015.

The 26 ampoules recovered from his premises were what remained of the quantity obtained from Anil.

A follow-up investigation revealed that Anil headed the supply of psychotropic substances, especially Buprenorphine ampoules, to the State. Anil was arrested in May 2016.

Mathews Varghese, Intelligence Officer, NCB, had detected the case while S Rajesh Jayakrishnan, Intelligence Officer, NCB, investigated the case.