The Drugs Control Administration of Delhi and the state police have, in a joint operation, seized spurious drugs worth Rs 5 lakh from within the city limits. The drugs are imitation versions of two fast moving antibiotics viz, Ampoxin 500 and Sporidex 500 that are being manufactured by Unichem Laboratories Ltd and Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. The spurious drugs, manufactured in Haryana, were concealed in jute bags and were on its way to Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. According to the police officials, the racket is spread across Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

One person has been arrested in this connection and charges framed against him under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Trade and Mercantile Act and the Indian Penal Code.

While the high value Ampoxin is usually prescribed for respiratory, urinary, skin, soft tissue, bone and joint infections, Sporidex is meant for the treatment of respiratory, genito-urinary, skin and soft tissue, bone and joint infections, gonorrhea and syphilis.

Officials claimed that the Jehangirpuri police arrested 42-year-old Deva Singh, a resident of sector 16, Rohini allegedly with six large jute bags containing the spurious medicine. Singh allegedly confessed that he had been running the racket in Delhi for the past four years.

The accused was arrested by the Srinivas Puri police in 1999 for trading in spurious medicine. He had worked at a spurious medicine manufacturing factory in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan till 1999, police said.

Police say that the accused has allegedly sent many consignments of spurious medicines to a person in Varanasi recently.

The Drugs Control Department is to send the samples of the seized drugs for the chemical analysis.