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Haryana FDA seizes large stock of tapentadol and pregabalin in Sirsa and Chautala raids
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Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
January 22 , 2026
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In a series of continuous enforcement actions over the last two weeks, the Haryana Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified its crackdown on the illegal sale and stocking of dual-use prescription drugs.
Most recently, drug regulatory officers conducted two high-stakes raids in Sirsa and Chautala, targeting retail medical shops suspected of distributing habit-forming medicines without legal authorization.
In Sirsa, drug inspector Keshav Vashistha, representing Sirsa-III, led a joint operation with the ABVT staff at a retail pharmacy in Gali No. 03, Kanda Colony. The raid, prompted by a secret complaint, led to the seizure of 510 tapentadol HCl tablets and 1,620 pregabalin capsules. As the shop owner failed to produce any valid purchase or sale documents, the drugs were seized via sampling under Form-17, with further legal action initiated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Simultaneously, a second raid was carried out in Chautala by Sunil Kumar, drug inspector of Sirsa-II, in coordination with police officials from Chautala and Mandi Dabwali. Investigating similar reports of illegal distribution, the team seized 220 tapentadol HCl tablets and 255 pregabalin IP 300 mg capsules. Following the same protocol as the Sirsa raid, the stock was seized under Form-17 after the proprietor failed to provide regulatory documentation.
State Drugs Controller (SDC) Lalit Kumar Goel informed Pharmabiz that these actions are part of a broader, uncompromising strategy to clean up the state's pharmaceutical supply chain. Goel emphasized a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy against violations, noting that the department has been relentlessly monitoring retail and wholesale premises across Haryana for the past half-year. This state-wide campaign aims to prevent the diversion of psychotropic substances into the illegal market.
Recent reports from the FDA highlight the scale of this effort, including a massive haul in Sirsa where over 70,770 zopiclone tablets, 10,950 tapentadol tablets, and 22,870 pregabalin capsules were recovered from a proprietor’s residence. The department has also been active in Fatehabad, where specialized teams recently inspected 22 medical shops, issuing show-cause notices to 19 establishments for failing to maintain mandatory sales and purchase records under Rule 65.
Beyond retail inspections, the SDC has expanded the department’s focus to include the manufacturing and pricing sectors. The FDA recently detected 33 cases of drug overpricing in 2025, submitting these violations to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). Furthermore, strict directives have been issued regarding the labelling of industrial-grade solvents like propylene glycol to prevent their misuse in medicinal products, following national concerns over contaminated syrups.
To bolster these enforcement efforts, Lalit Kumar Goel is spearheading the formation of an interstate coordination committee involving five northern states to tackle the trade of spurious and counterfeit drugs. By streamlining regulatory processes and conducting frequent training for drug inspectors, the Haryana FDA is working to create a transparent, digitally-tracked, and "Nasha Mukti" (drug-free) environment across the state.
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