FDA cracks down on online sale of MTP kits, 227 seized in raids
In a major crackdown on the illegal online sale of Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) kits, a team from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Health Department raided pharmacies in Ghaziabad and Badaun (Uttar Pradesh), seizing 227 MTP kits being sold unlawfully.
The operation was launched on the directions of ACS Health, Sudhir Rajpal, who had instructed State Drug Controller Manmohan Taneja to curb the unauthorised sale of MTP kits.
As part of the crackdown, a decoy operation was conducted by Amandeep, Drug Control Officer (DCO), Gurugram, who placed an online order for MTP kits. Upon receiving payment, the online pharmacies — operating from Ghaziabad and Badaun —dispatched the kits under the brand name “Unwanted” to the DCO’s official address, along with instructions on how to use them for abortion.
Taneja emphasised the legal restrictions on MTP kits, stating: "The MTP Act 1971 & Rules 1975 allow medical termination of pregnancy up to nine weeks using MTP kits only under the supervision of a Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) and in an approved MTP centre."
Following the operation, FIRs were registered on February 11 under the MTP Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act at Sector 40 police station in Gurugram. The suppliers identified in the investigation include: Satyam Tripathi Office, Ghaziabad, M/s Baba Shyam Store, Badaun and M/s Apurva Mfg Group of Companies, Badaun.
Taneja highlighted the serious health risks posed by illegal MTP kit usage, saying: "Many pregnant women who ingested these kits unlawfully at home had to be rushed to government health centres in life-threatening conditions. Their lives were saved by doctors and based on their statements, FIRs were filed against suppliers. These cases are under trial in various courts."
FDA teams, along with police and health officials, raided the supply points to investigate further.
At the Ghaziabad pharmacy, officials seized 191 MTP kits and the owner was arrested for illegally supplying the kits without any records of acquisition.
In Badaun, the police team found 36 more MTP kits intended for unlawful distribution. Officials confirmed that the pharmacy had been involved in the large-scale illegal supply of such kits.
ACS Sudhir Rajpal noted that since 2015, more than 1,220 FIRs have been registered under the PC-PNDT and MTP Acts to prevent illegal abortions and protect the girl child in the state.
