Special task force seizes Rs 2 lakh spurious drugs, arrests distributor

Cuttack The special task force (STF) of drug enforcement on Tuesday seized spurious medicine valued at Rs 2 lakh from a pharmaceutical distributor at Choudhury Bazar area in Cuttack. The owner of the distributor has been arrested.

The drug, a combination of two antibiotics, is used in the treatment of bacterial and parasitic infections. The spurious drugs were allegedly manufactured by a fake pharma company on the name of a branded pharmaceuticals and a stock of more than 900 strips were seized from the drug distributor in Cuttack.

"We have collected samples from a distributor at Choudhury Bazaar three months ago, during our routine checking, which was sent to the state laboratory for the test and subsequently samples were sent to the manufacturing company. A week ago, the company confirmed that these samples were not manufactured by them," said assistant drug controller Dharmadev Puhan.

"After getting confirmation, a three-member team of STF had conducted a raid on the distributor at Choudhury Bazar and seized 944 strips of spurious drugs, vaulued at Rs 2 lakh," added Puhan. Following that, an FIR was filed in the Puri Ghat police station and the distributor was arrested on Tuesday.

"According to preliminary investigation, the drugs were supplied from outside the state. An inquiry will be conducted with the help of police to trace the fake drug manufacturer," added Puhan. Earlier, within a span of one month in October 2022, around Rs 1 crore of spurious drugs were seized from various distributors in Odisha. Eight persons, including three from outside Odisha, were arrested by STF.