Baddi firm comes under scanner after narcotic drugs seized in Agra

A Baddi-based drug firm has come under a cloud after a joint team of the Anti-Narcotic Task Force and the police seized a huge cache of narcotic-based drugs from an unauthorised warehouse in the Nagla Mewati area of Agra early this month.

Four types of narcotic-based drugs seized comprised sedatives and painkillers, which are often misused and consumed by drug addicts to get a kick. The seized drugs are reportedly manufactured by Revantis Healthcare, Baddi, and marketed by Punjab Lifesciences, Baddi.

The authorities concerned have sought the sale-related details of batches seized from the firms concerned to ascertain how the stock made its way to an unauthorised warehouse. At least 10 samples have also been sent for lab analysis.

State Drugs Controller Manish Kapoor said a drug inspector had been directed to examine the sale records of the batches of the drugs seized in Agra, which were manufactured by Revantis Healthcare, Baddi. Further action would be initiated as per findings. The seized drugs comprise controlled drugs that cannot be dispensed with without a prescription from a medical practitioner. As per a probe conducted by the Uttar Pradesh authorities, these drugs were bought at a lower price without any bill and were sold illegally to addicts for a profit.

In the absence of any demand survey to gauge the actual requirement of narcotic and sedative drugs for therapeutic use, it has been observed that drug firms churn out huge volumes of such drugs. Another drug firm in Solan is also under the watch of the authorities concerned after a cache of tradamol was seized by the Sirmaur police earlier this week. Given high profitability, firms that are barely a few years old are found manufacturing such drugs on a mass level, thus creating suspicion about their nefarious sales. The Anti-Narcotic Task Force is inquiring into the nefarious operations of more such firms.