Raids for Fake Cough Syrup: The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) team conducted raids in several districts of Uttar Pradesh to nab a counterfeit cough syrup racket.
On Sunday, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) team conducted raids across the district to crack down on the Codeine cough syrup racket. Teams raided 10 locations in Lucknow, Rae Bareli, and Sitapur. During the raid, several firm owners closed their shutters and fled. The team called the firm owners and requested documents related to the purchase of cough syrup.
Two medical stores (one in Lucknow and one in Sitapur) were sealed after irregularities were discovered during the investigation. Officials say that narcotics and cough syrup were supplied to several districts through a Gujarat-based firm with a depot in Lucknow. FSDA Assistant Divisional Commissioner Brajesh Yadav stated that drug inspectors from 13 districts were called to Lucknow for the raid. The team inspected nine firms in Lucknow and one in Sitapur. According to the Assistant Divisional Commissioner, three inspections at Idhika Life Sciences and Arpic Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, located in Transport Nagar, revealed irregularities within the firms. The storage of narcotic drugs was found to be inadequate. Irregularities were also found in the sale of large quantities of codeine cough syrup through the firms. Documents related to the sales have been seized. Brajesh stated that Manohar Jaiswal, the owner of Idhika and Arpic, lives in Gujarat. He has a depot in Lucknow. Large quantities of codeine syrup were being shipped to various districts of the state through this Gujarat-based firm.
Sealing Actions Taken
Shri Shyam Pharma, located in Aminabad Old Medicine Market, was found closed during the inspection. The team has sealed the store. The team says that this medical store purchased a large quantity of cough syrup and narcotic drugs from a firm located in Transport Nagar. Meanwhile, the operator of Naimish Dham Medical Store in Sitapur had purchased 2,600 bottles of Codeine Cough Syrup from Idhika Life Sciences, a firm located in Transport Nagar. During the investigation, the medical store operator reported sales of only 1,000 bottles. The team sealed the firm and sent information to the relevant police station.
Drug inspectors involved in the raid were:
Drug Inspectors Vaibhav Babbar, Sandesh Maurya, Vivek Kumar Singh, Seema Singh, Ashok Kumar, Madhuri, Om Pal Singh, Shivendra Pratap Singh, Razia Bano, Om Pal Singh, Vinay Krishna, Swagatika Ghosh, Anita Kuriel, and Nilesh Kumar Sharma.
Raids were conducted on these firms:
1. Idhika Life Sciences, Transport Nagar.
2. Narcotics drugs were seized from Arpik Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, Transport Nagar, for document verification.
3. Naimish Dham Medical Store, Sitapur, was sealed.
4. Novon Life Sciences, Transport Nagar, was closed during the investigation. People nearby reported that the shop had been vacated. When the team contacted the firm’s proprietor by phone, they learned that the codeine-containing cough syrup had been purchased from Idhika Firm. The operator promised to provide the documents within a day.
5. Codeine-containing medicines were not found at Subhash Medical Agency, Ring Road, Rajajipuram. The firm operator stated that Idhika Life Sciences cough syrup was purchased through him and delivered to Balaji Medical Store, Rajajipuram. When the team arrived at Balaji Medical Store, the firm operator stated that the codeine-containing medicines had been sold to Shyam Medical Agency, whose operator is currently in jail. The department had already revoked Shyam Medical Agency’s license for illegally selling narcotic drugs.
6. Narcotic medicines and codeine-containing cough syrup were not found in stock at MJS Agency, Transport Nagar, or Reliance Pharmaceuticals.
7. Investigations are underway at Medrate Pharmaceuticals, Transport Nagar.
8. Palas Pharmaceuticals, Kursi Road, Jankipuram, was found closed on the spot as its license had been suspended earlier.
9. Shri Shyam Medical Store, located in Aminabad Medicine Market.
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