Xponse CEO remanded to 14-day jail custody

Kolkata, Feb 13 (UNI) Xponse Private Limited CEO Sanjay Kedia was today remanded to 14-day jail custody after being arrested for his alleged involvement in the drug cartel, said the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB).

NCB Zonal Director (East) Sandeep Mittal said, '' We have been tracking this company along with the drug enforcement administration in the USA for the past one year. '' '' He has been booked for dealing with pshycotic substance, Phentermine, which is banned in India. He was produced at the Barasat court and remanded to jail custody for 14 days, '' he said.

Describing the modus operandi of the company, he said the firm was a BPO, collecting orders for its clients in the US, Canada and Sweden through portal, and supplied drugs through local pharmacies.

The site could be accessed only in those three countries, he said.

Last night, the NCB officers freezed 20 national and international Bank accounts of Mr Kedia, holding Rs one crore 70 lakh and hard cash of Rs 24 lakh, he said adding USD 3000 was also seized from his possession.

Mr Kedia, an IIT-Delhi alumnus, was charged under the Narcotic drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act.

The arrest was the first in the country for such a crime that came after the sleuths took action against a syndicate operating an online pharmacy that offered to sell psychotropic substances, NCB sources said.

'' After procuring orders from customers across the world, they used to send drug consignments through post. The contents were labelled with misleading names. To export pschytropic substances legally, one requires export authorisation from the Narcotics Commissioner, '' the NCB sources added.

Sanjay did his Masters from North Carolina. He had established Xponse Technologies in 2002 and expanded the company in less than three years.

UNI