In a major crackdown on the illegal sale of prescription opioid drugs, Chamarajpet Police have arrested four women in two separate operations for allegedly selling Tydol, a scheduled opioid painkiller, without medical authorisation.

Police said the accused were selling the tablets, which require a valid prescription, to drug users for recreational purposes. Officials described the arrests as the first known case in Bengaluru involving women allegedly selling opioid tablets.

Two raids lead to four arrests

The accused have been identified as Shobha A. (37) and Baby Shalini (31), both residents of Bhangi Colony in Chamarajpet, and Shyamala (30) and Munni (50), residents of Anandpura in Tipu Nagar.

Both operations were conducted on June 18 following specific intelligence inputs.

In the first raid, police received information that two women were selling tablets to a group of youngsters on Mysuru Road. When officers reached the spot, the buyers fled, but the two women were apprehended. Police allegedly recovered 30 Tydol tablets from their possession. During interrogation, the women reportedly admitted to selling each tablet for ₹200.

In another operation later the same day, police arrested the remaining two women after recovering 20 Tydol tablets concealed in a plastic cover. They too were allegedly selling each tablet for ₹200.

Family links and coded transactions under probe

During the investigation, police found that the women had allegedly entered the illegal drug trade after their family members were arrested in similar cases a few months ago.

According to investigators, the accused avoided using mobile phones to contact customers in an attempt to evade surveillance. Instead, they reportedly waited at pre-identified locations and approached potential buyers using the code word “Goli”.

Police believe the women had been guided by their relatives on how and where to sell the tablets without attracting attention.

Further investigation is underway to trace the source of the opioid tablets and identify others who may be part of the illegal distribution network.