Hyderabad: The Drugs Control Administration (DCA), Telangana, has executed 18 successful operations against illicit pharmacies since July 21, 2023, and seized spurious and unlicensed drugs worth more than Rs 7 crore, according to reports.
Moreover, the DCA also conducted several raids against self-professed RMP’s and PMP’s who were stocking and selling drugs without a valid drug license in the months of December and January.
Enforcement activities since July 2023
On August 14, DCA officials detected Physician Samples stocks at Balaji Medical and General Stores, Rajendranagar, which subsequently led to the detection of a huge stock of Physician Samples worth Rs 25 lakhs at a godown at Jalpally, Rang Reddy district.
On September 1, DCA raided M/s. Health First Medical and General Stores, Warasiguda, Secunderabad, and seized 16 varieties of ‘Telangana Government Supply Drugs—Not for Sale’ worth Rs 2 lakhs.
On September 2, DCA seized Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride Quantity: 376.2 kg, worth Rs. 9.6 lakhs, from C. Veera Venkateswara Rao and M. Karna Kumar, partners of M/s. Lead Pharma, Prashanth Nagar, Kukatpally Mandal for unlicensed stocking of the drug.
On October 30, DCA detected unlicensed manufacturing of the drug ‘Tizanidine Hydrochloride’ at M/s. SV Labs Pvt. Ltd., Koyyalagudem Village, Choutuppal Mandal, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri District, along with unlicensed stocking of the drug ‘Amantadine Hydrochloride’ and seized huge stocks of drugs worth Rs. 66 lakhs on November 15, 2023, after receipt of a test report from the Drugs Control Laboratory, Hyderabad.
On December 4, DCA raided the unlicensed godown at Machabollaram and detected spurious anti-cancer drugs claimed to be manufactured by a non-existent company, ‘Astra Generics Pvt. Ltd. Stocks worth Rs 4.35 crore were seized during the raid.
On December 19, DCA seized 754 Codiene Phosphate Syrup bottles of 100 ml each (Habit Forming Drug) worth Rs 1.5 lakhs from Sharada Medical Stores, Siddiamber Bazar.
On December 22, DCA raided the unlicensed premises of Aspen Biopharma located at Annarugudem Village, Tallada Mandal, Khammam District, and detected illicit manufacturing of drugs at the facility. Stocks of drugs weighing about 935 kg were found at the premises.
On December 29, DCA raided various locations in Hyderabad and busted a counterfeit drug racket of fake antibiotics, hypertension and cholesterol medicines, analgesics, and seized stocks worth Rs. 26 lakhs.
On the same day, DCA busted another counterfeit drug manufacturing racket at Kukatpally. A company by the name of Rams Pharmaceuticals, located in Moosapet, was manufacturing counterfeit anti-ulcer medicines in the name of a Punjab-based company without a valid drug license under the guise of a food supplement manufacturer and supplying them to a wholesale distributor by the name of M/s. Biomedic Pharmaceutical Private Ltd. in Nizamabad.
Again on the same day, DCA officers detected unlicensed manufacturing of the drug Dapoxetine Hydrochloride at M/s Meka Labs, Gaddapotharam Village, Jinnaram Mandal, Sangareddy District, and seized the drug ‘Dapoxetine Hydrochloride’ of quantity 284 kg worth Rs. 20 lakh.
On December 30, DCA officers of Nizamabad raided M/s. Biomedic Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd., Vinayaka Nagar, Nizamabad, and seized 29,600 capsules of the counterfeit drug Essom-RD. It was claimed to be manufactured by: QP Phermachem Ltd.,
On January 3, DCA busted a counterfeit antibiotics racket involving the shipping of ‘fake antibiotics’ to Telangana State through couriers from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. DCA seized fake antibiotics worth Rs. 22.95 lakhs during raids at Uppal and Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad.
On January 4, DCA raided an unlicensed manufacturing facility for the drug ‘Diacerein’ at Rakshit Drugs Pvt. Ltd. in Sangareddy and seized the stock of 236 kg of the drug ‘Diacerein’ worth 50.25 lakhs.
On January 9, DCA raided a spurious ‘Mehendi (Henna) Cone’ manufacturing facility at Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad. Mehendi (Henna) cones manufactured using the toxic chemical ‘Picramic Acid’ (adulterated) were seized during the raid.
On January 11, DCA seized stock of Asmero vial injections at Mancherial worth 5.88 lakhs.
On January 18, DCA raided an unlicensed godown at Amberpet, where it belonged, and seized huge stocks of medicines worth Rs 20.52 lakhs.
On the same day, DCA raided the premises of a medical distributor, Sree Raja Rajeshwara Medical Distributors, in Kapra and seized a huge stock of insulin injections worth Rs. 5 lakhs for stocking them ‘in racks at room temperature’ which could lead to degradation of insulin and loss of potency of the injections.
On January 19, DCA raided the Iswarya Fertility Center at Malakpet, which is running a pharmacy with a ‘fake drug license’ and seized huge stocks of medicines worth Rs. 10 lakhs. Iswarya Fertility Center, Malakpet, produced a forged or fabricated drug license to the officers of DCA during the raid, which was found to be a falsified document.
