New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) The Delhi Drugs Control Department, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Haryana, and Delhi Police, busted an alleged illegal drug manufacturing and stocking racket operating from a residential apartment in outer Delhi’s Narela, seizing suspected counterfeit medicines, anabolic steroids, raw materials and manufacturing equipment, officials said on Tuesday.
The two-day operation was carried out following specific intelligence about the suspected movement of spurious medicines from the premises, according to a statement issued by the Delhi government.
Officials said the first day of the raid led to the detection of an unlicensed manufacturing and packaging unit inside the apartment.
The team recovered sealing machines, hand-operated seal crimping devices, heat guns, electric stirrers, precision weighing scales, industrial filter paper, glass beakers, rubber closures and flip-off caps.
Thousands of unlabelled tablets suspected to be Tofacitinib, liquid vials of anabolic steroids, including Boldenone, Masteron and Testosterone variants, and chemical solutions used in drug preparation were also seized, the statement said.
During the inspection, the occupant of the flat told officials that the premises had been rented for stocking and packaging allopathic medicines and claimed the operation was being run by another individual allegedly linked to a manufacturing facility in Haryana’s Sonipat. However, no drug licence, purchase records or stock registers could be produced, officials said.
Acting on fresh intelligence, the joint team returned to the apartment complex the following day and searched common utility areas, leading to the recovery of additional consignments concealed inside electric utility shafts on multiple floors.
The recovered stock included bulk steroid hormone powders such as Progesterone, Oxandrolone, Mesterolone and Trenbolone Enanthate, over 1,500 finished steroid injection vials carrying “Made in Germany” markings, more than 5,000 loose tablets, over 5,000 empty glass and amber vials, nearly 2,500 packaging boxes, thousands of flip-off caps and several documents believed to be linked to the alleged illegal operation.
The seized material has been taken into custody under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and samples have been sent for laboratory analysis.
Preliminary findings indicate prima facie violations of Sections 18, 18A and 18B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, relating to the manufacture, stocking and distribution of drugs without valid licences, the statement said.
Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the Delhi government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against those endangering public health through fake medicines.
“Fake and spurious medicines are a serious threat to public health, and those involved in their manufacture or distribution will face strict action under the law,” he said.
The minister congratulated the Delhi Drugs Control Department, FDA Haryana and Delhi Police for exposing the alleged network and said surveillance and enforcement would be further strengthened.
He said further investigation is underway to identify others involved in the racket, trace the source and distribution chain of the seized products and apprehend the absconding accused.
The Delhi government said the entire search and seizure operation was videographed and digital hash values were generated on-site to preserve the chain of custody of electronic evidence. PTI SGV SGV MPL MPL
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