Illegal Haryana factory making anabolic steroids busted

Nitish Sharma

Advertisement

Ambala, October 14

A joint team of the Haryana Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Ambala police on Saturday unearthed an illegal drug factory preparing anabolic steroids and health supplements at the Defence Colony in Ambala Cantonment.

FDA officials said a man who ran a gym had been detained from the spot. A huge quantity of injections, tablets and health supplements had been recovered, they said. At the illegal unit, the accused had set up machines and a lab to prepare the counterfeit drugs and supplements. A huge quantity of counterfeit drug of a multinational company, packing material, empty bottles and supplement jars were also seized.

Ambala Drug Control Officer Hemant Grover said, “The accused was preparing anabolic steroids. A huge quantity of injections and tablets have been seized. It is being ascertained as to whom the drugs were being sold.” He said the neighbours claimed they had no idea about the illegal unit.

Sunil Dahiya, Senior Drug Control Officer, Ambala Zone, said, “The accused was operating an allopathic drug factory without any licence. We had been keeping a close watch on the person for several days, following which the raid was conducted. The seized drugs were used for hormonal treatment and fell in scheduled category, which cannot be sold without a doctor’s prescription. These are also used in gyms as body stimulants.” Dahiya said the packaging material and labels suggested the accused may even have been exporting the drugs. “We are ascertaining whether the accused was selling the supplements in his gym. The samples will be sent to a government lab in Chandigarh for examination,” he said. Panjokhra police station SHO Inspector Vikrant said an investigation was underway.