Spurious drugs: Officials tracing origin of raw, packaging material

Ambika Sharma

Solan, January 23

Officials of the drugs control administration (DCA) are tracing the origin of the raw and packaging material used in manufacturing spurious drugs by a quack at Basoli village in Una district.

The Una police had arrested the quack, Balram Chauhan, after a cache of spurious drugs, including 10 allopathic drugs, paediatric syrups, besides printed foils of narcotic-based spurious drugs like nitrazepam bearing the label of a multi-national company, were seized from his rented premises on January 12.

Deputy Drugs Controller Manish Kapoor said they were inquiring into the origin of the raw material comprising active pharmaceutical ingredient and excipients used in manufacturing the seized drugs at Basoli. It was also being ascertained where Chauhan got the packaging material printed.

“The officials of a key licensed multi-national company as well as a pharmaceutical company in Una district were associated in the probe by the drug officials to ascertain whether the seized drugs belonged to their companies or were unlicensed drugs manufactured by Chauhan,” added Kapoor.

Labels of drugs and medicines manufactured in their name were seized by the officials in the raid. Two machines were also seized from the premises of Chauhan, which were used for blister packing of tablets and syrup making.

The traders of raw material are registered with the DCA and securing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances-based material for manufacturing nitrazepam has put a question mark over the authorities as it is a controlled substance and can’t be sold to an unauthorised person.

A team of officials from the DCA had also raided the premises of Chauhan at Basoli village in Una and its precincts after the police action.

Una Additional SP Sanjeev Bhatia said, “The case is being investigated and Chauhan is yet to reveal information about the origin of the raw material as well as the packaging material.”

Chauhan was arrested on Tuesday night from Punjab and is in police custody. His wife, who operated a school below his manufacturing premises at Basoli village, was arrested after the raid on January 12.

The action followed a sting operation conducted by a television channel where Chauhan had admitted to manufacturing spurious drugs of various ailments like blood pressure, diabetes, cold, etc., besides NDPS-based drugs under the label of key licensed companies.