Spurious drugs seized in raid on Una quack

Ambika Sharma

Solan, January 12

A team headed by Assistant Drugs Controller, Deputy Drugs Controller and three drug inspectors raided the Basoli-based premises of a quack in Una district this evening and recovered spurious drugs, including 10 allopathic drugs, paediatric syrups, besides printed foils of a multi-national company.

This is the first case in the state where a quack was found manufacturing spurious drugs as till now, spurious drug manufacturing was being undertaken by companies licensed to manufacture either allopathic drugs or neutraceuticals in clusters like Paonta Sahib, Kala Amb and Baddi.

Deputy Drugs Controller Manish Kapoor, who was also part of the raid, confirmed that a team of officials from the drugs control administration (DCA) raided a building at Basoli village in Una and its precincts around 5 pm this evening.

The action follows a sting operation aired by a television channel last evening which had exposed Balram Chauhan admitting to spurious drug manufacturing in the name of renowned pharmaceutical companies. Chauhan was allegedly operating as a quack. Two machines for blister packing and preparing liquids were also found on the second floor of the building while a school was being operated from its first floor by Chauhan’s wife.

“An attempt was made to burn a cache of narcotic-based spurious drugs like nitrazepam on a private piece of land about 3 km from Basoli. Ten types of spurious allopathic drugs were also recovered from a room on the vacant land,” said Kapoor.

All these items have been seized and action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act would be initiated after preparing a seizure memo, he said.

Chauhan fled before the arrival of the authorities.

Both the police as well as the officials from the DCA are inquiring into it from their perspective.