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Maharashtra FDA makes crackdown on illegal sale of codeine containing cough syrups
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Shardul Nautiyal, Mumbai
October 28 , 2015
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In order to curb the clandestine activity of distribution of formulation
containing narcotic drug codeine phosphate, Maharashtra Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) seized 15,000 bottles of codeine containing cough
syrups worth Rs. 15 lakhs which were sold
in the open market at a higher cost without a valid license. Two persons
from Thane were found violating the provisions of the Drugs and
Cosmetics Act, 1940 and one of them have been arrested jointly by
Maharashtra FDA officials and Kashimira police in Thane.
On
the basis of raid conducted by FDA, stock of cough syrup were found in
about 145 box (14500 x 100 ml bottle) of various brands like Rexcof
manufactured by Cipla Ltd, Vapi, Reskop manufactured by Promed
Laboratories Pvt Ltd, Indore, Corex manufactured by Pfizer Ltd, Pune,
Rancodex manufactured by Smilax Healthcare Pvt Ltd, Baddi and marketed
by Ranbaxy Laboratory Ltd, New Delhi and Conex manufactured by Acron
Pharmaceuticals, Ahmedabad were seized by Kashimira police from a person
named Dalaram Choudhari.
Dalaram Choudhari was arrested by Kashimira police under the charges of 18A, 18C of
Drug
and Cosmetics Act and sections 328, 336, 269, 36 of IPC. Police is in
search of another person Bharat Choudhari who is involved in this racket
and is further investigating sources of these drugs which were
illegally acquired.
Choudhari was trapped with 8 boxes containing
bottle of Corex, Rexcof and Rancof cough syrup in a Maruti Swift Dzire
car by a team of intelligence branch (IB) officials assisted by team of
Kashimria police station. Further interrogation with Dalaram Choudhari
revealed that same formulations were collected from Bharat Choudhari at
Nalasopara of Thane district. The team of FDA officers along with a team
of Kashimira police station also raided the godown owned by Bharat
Choudhari.
FDA commissioner Dr. Harshadeep Kamble said, "As per
the initial information from the accused, much of this stock of cough
syrup containing codeine phosphate is being sold in Mumbai and much of
it was sold in Bengal and North-East states where these bottles can be
sold at thrice the original price. There is a strong doubt of a big
network involved in this clandestine process. All this clandestine
activity was based on illegal purchases, without a license. All these
stock was planned to be sold to drug/codeine phosphate addicts at very
higher price. This is first and major such kind of raid in the recent
past."
He further appreciated the timely help and efficient
co-ordination from the police. Further investigation is on by the joint
team of FDA and police.
The raid was carried by the intelligence
branch of FDA Maharashtra based on a tip off that there are some amongst
the drug addict and school going children who were detected for drug
abuse.
On the orders of FDA commissioner, Dr. Kamble based on a
tip, the team of intelligence branch headed by O S Sadhwani, joint
commissioner (IB), kept a watch on the entire operation. One of the
official, J B Mantri, assistant commissioner (IB) posed as a customer
and carried out a test purchase. The exercise confirmed about the supply
of these drugs from an unidentified source following which a trap was
laid at Kashimira region of Thane district on 26 October 2015.
This
entire operation was carried out under the guidance of Dr. Harshadeep
Kamble, IAS, commissioner FDA, Maharashtra state, O.S. Sadhwani, joint
commissioner (vigilance) FDA, and R.S. Urunkar, joint commissioner,
Konkan division with the team of IB officials J B Mantri, Dr. Rakesh
Tirpude, assistant commissioner (HQ) and V.A.Kose, assistant
commissioner, Thane along with drug inspectors A.T. Rathod, U.G.
Waghmare, P.H. Mahanwar, Pongale and S. Deshmukh.
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