The Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) recently busted a racket of dealers involved in illegal manufacturing of drugs without license from Ahmedabad. The company Vikoma Industries and its sister concern Radhe Biotech was found to be violating section 18(c) of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, (D&C Act) by manufacturing, selling and distributing drugs without license.
During the investigation, the drug authorities seized and recovered raw materials, packaging materials, finished goods, machinery and equipment to manufacture tablet, capsule and syrup etc. worth over Rs.1.25 crore from their manufacturing facilities. The seized drugs include life saving drugs and antibiotics like azithromycine tablets, paracetamol tablets for pain and fever, levocetrizine tablet for cold, antacid syrup, vitamin syrup, etc.
Dr H G Koshia, commissioner, Gujarat FDCA informed, “We discovered almost 50 range of products belonging to different strengths and compositions during our raid and have already sent around 13 samples from the same to our lab to get its tested for its efficacy and safety. From what we understand almost all the drugs are going to be declared as spurious, since the company used to manufacture these products without undergoing any tests at all.”
The drug authorities informed that apart from violating section 18(c) of the Act, the proprietors of the firms Shashi Shekhar Sharma and his wife Vijayaben Sharma were found to violate section 18(a)(vi) as well, by manufacturing the drugs on other manufacturer name and not keeping or producing manufacturing and testing records.
Dr Koshia informed that the company which started its business as a wholesaler and distributor for Radhe Biotech in 2007, had initially outsourced one batch of each products from a genuine manufacturer in Himachal Pradesh to get tax benefits and recognition in the market. After which they subsequently started illegal manufacturing of drugs without license in their own manufacturing facility with old machinery which they had acquired through auction.
“The drugs manufactured by them are spurious, misbranded and adulterated drugs and these offences are punishable under section 27 of D&C Act, 1940 under which life term imprisonment penalty is prescribed. The only reason why they escaped our notice till now, is because they where selling the drugs outside the state. Now that we have nailed them, we will ensure that they are punished severely for putting the life of patients at risk,” said Dr Koshia.
Gujarat drug authorities have already informed and warned the drugs controllers of the concerned states to take suitable steps to withdraw the drugs that have already been sold in the respective states so as to safeguard the patients health and life.