The Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), Gujarat State, has achieved a major milestone by getting one person involved in manufacturing of spurious, counterfeit and misbranded drugs arrested under "Gujarat Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 1985" (PASA) with the help of District Magistrate, Anand District, and the Police Department.

According to S. P. Adeshara, Commissioner, Food & Drugs Control Administration, Nailesh Naranbhai Patel of Village Napad Talpad, District Anand, was found manufacturing spurious, counterfeit and misbranded life saving drugs which included Dexamethasone Injections, Amikacin Injections, Gentamicin Injections, Cefotaxime Sodium Injections, Ceftazidime Sodium Injections etc.

The FDCA commissioner informed that the police has already seized goods worth around Rs. 3, 65,000 from the spurious manufacturer. Adeshara said that the labels of popular brands of pharma giants were prepared by him and he was affixing the same on fake, spurious, vials and ampoules and selling to doctors.

The FDCA found that the manufacturer did not have any manufacturing or selling license. Several samples drawn by the inspection team from the FDCA and tested by government analyst, Food & Drugs Laboratory, Baroda revealed that all samples were spurious and misbranded. Most of the injections had 'Nil' content of active ingredient.

The matter had also been referred to Dr. R.K. Dikshit, Prof. & Head, Department of Pharmacology, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, and his expert opinion was sought. As opined by him such life saving drugs can cause grievous hurt and as it was extremely heinous crime. Besides the actions taken by police, the Department of Food & Drugs Control has also decided to take exemplary actions in consensus with the District Magistrate and Collector, Anand District. A detailed proposal was sent to him for detention of the accused under the provision of Section 3(ii) "Gujarat Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, 1985" (PASA) as Drug Offender.

The District Magistrate R. B. Dave, after careful examination, passed a detailed Order dated 1.11.2002 for detention of the offender and put him in Baroda Jail on the same day. Adeshara said that such drastic actions against any Drug Offender are first time taken in the State of Gujarat and probably in the country.