Opium and Alkaloid Works

The Government Opium and Alkaloid Factories (GOAF) is an Indian government-owned organisation. Its headquarter is located in New Delhi. There are two factories under this organisation - Government Opium and Alkaloid Works, Ghazipur (U.P.) and Government Opium and Alkaloid Works, Neemuch (M.P.).

Products

The enterprise's two factories specialize in the production of opium and the extraction of related alkaloids (such as Codeine phosphates, Morphine salts, Dionine, Morphine Hydrochloride, Thebaine,[1] and more). It is the country's largest producer of opium-related products.[2]

Factories

Government Opium and Alkaloid Works, Ghazipur (U.P.)

The Ghazipur factory began life as the Benaras Opium Agency,[3] an entity of the East India Company, in 1820. The opium processed at Ghazipur was sent to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata) for auction, then shipped to the south China coast and smuggled into the country via the port of Canton (now known as Guangzhou). In 1945, the factory began extracting alkaloids in addition to processing opium.[2] Currently, Mr. Shashank Yadav, I.R.S. is the General Manager of this factory and Mr. O.P. Rai, I.R.S. is the Manager of factory along with the other officials are currently posted in factory i.e Mr. Ajeet Kumar C.L.S., Asst.Commissioner(central-Labour Welfare) and the Ghazipur opium factory is mentioned in the novel "Sea of Poppies" by Amitav Ghosh. More recently both the Ghazipur and Nimach factories are referred to as sources of illegal smuggling for opium manufacture in the movie "Udta Punjab" (2016). The Nimach, also known as Neemuch opium factory is known to have the largest opium receptacle in the world, resembling a large backyard swimming pool. It holds 450 tons of opium. The contents of the vat are stolen in the anti-heroin novel "White Monsoon First Edition" by Scott Nelson. In the novel, White Monsoon is a codename for a 1992 plot by Libyan terrorists to flood Main Street USA with bargain-basement-priced heroin.

Government Opium and Alkaloid Works, Neemuch (M.P.)

The Neemuch factory was founded in 1933. In 1976, it began extracting alkaloids in addition to processing opium. The Nimach factory, also known as Neemuch factory, is an acronym for Northern India Mounted Advanced Cavalry Headquarters. The opium factory is known to have the largest opium receptacle in the world, resembling a large backyard swimming pool. It holds 450 tons of opium. The contents of the vat are stolen in the anti-heroin novel "White Monsoon" by Scott Nelson. In the novel, White Monsoon was a codename for a 1992 Libyan plot to pose as members of the International Red Cross and travel from Libya to India’s Opium and Alkaloid Works in Neemuch to steal the contents of a backyard swimming pool sized vat containing 450 tons of opium worth 36US billion in 1992. The opium would be converted to 40 tons of morphine base then smuggled into a remote location in Afghanistan to be converted to 40 tons of pure heroin to be sold for bargain-basement-prices on Main Street, America.[2]

Organization

After 1976, organisation is headed by the Chief Controller of Factories, currently Captain Sanjay Gahlot, IRS.

Workforce

The enterprise employs 1,432 people.[2]

Security

Security is managed by members of the Central Industrial Security Force, with 123 assigned to the Ghazipur factory and 104 to Neemuch.[2]

See also

Notes
  1. V.S. Ramanathan, P. Chandra. Recovery of thebaine and cryptopine from Indian opium (UNODC)
  2. "Particulars of the organisation, its functions and duties" (PDF). (14.1 KB) (Government of India)
  3. Government Opium and alkaloid factories at a glance (Central Bureau of Narcotics)
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