FDA busts illegal drug seller’s racket

MUMBAI: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), last week, seized injections worth Rs2 lakh from a Jogeshwaribased drug supplier, who purchased and sold drugs without any bills or receipts.

FDA officials suspect that the drug firm, Unity Enterprise, owned by the Jogeshwari-based drug supplier Javed Shaikh, might be trafficking drugs to neighbouring countries.

Most of the drugs seized by the FDA inspectors in the two-day raid were antibiotic injections. “During our routine inspection, we found that Shaikh, was buying drugs from stockists in Mumbai and selling them to a man based in Delhi, without any purchase bills,” said Nitin Deore, drug inspector, FDA.

According to officials, the absence of any transaction bills can indicate trafficking of drugs. “The firm was involved in supplying drugs to a few hospitals in the same locality. During routine inspection, we found that the firm was sending drugs through courier to the person in Delhi without any bills,” said Doere. Firms involved in supply ing drugs to hospitals purchase drugs at concessional rates com pared to the rate they are sold to drug retailers.

Acting on FDA’S complaint the Oshiwara police have booked Shaikh under Indian Penal Code sections 336 and 420. “We have registered a case of cheating against the owner and arrested him soon after,” said Subhash Vele, senior police inspector Oshiwara police station.

FDA officials have sent sam ples of the seized drugs to check for their quality. “Most of the drugs are branded injections routinely used in hospitals. We will check if the drugs beings supplied were of spurious nature,” added Deore.