Duplicate Medicines Seized in Cuttack; One Detained

Cuttack: Spurious medicines worth Rs 2 lakh was seized by police from a pharmaceutical distributor in Cuttack on Monday. Personnel of the Drugs Control department and Purighat police station conducted a joint raid on the pharmaceutical firm.

During the search operation, over Rs 2 lakhs worth of fake medicines of various brands were unearthed from the premises of the company. These medicines were to be supplied to retail counters. The police have also detained one person involved in this case.

An earlier investigation by the Special Task Force Team (Drugs Enforcement Squad) has revealed that spurious drugs sold in Odisha have their origin in Uttar Pradesh. This STF formed by the Odisha government had earlier investigated the spurious drugs racket in Bargarh and Jharsuguda District.

Shalini Pandit, Commissioner Cum Secretary Government of Odisha has written to the Mission Director, National Health Mission, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, regarding this grave issue.

It was found that the sellers involved in the marketing of fake drugs in the Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts of Odisha had got them from firms in Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh.