Medicines for Defence seized from Pune wholesalers

9/2/2019

PUNE: Drugs worth Rs 3.37 lakh, meant for the defence sector, were confiscated during search operations on the premises of three medicine wholesalers in the city.

The stock seized consisted of imported anti-diabetes and anti-hypertensive tablets. According to officials, the search and seizure operations began last week in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and it would continue in Pune. More premises are likely to be searched in the next few days.

"We seized the drug stock meant for the defence sector from three wholesalers in Erandwane, Sadashiv Peth and Hadapsar. The total cost of the seized material is Rs 3.37 lakh," said S B Patil, joint commissioner (drugs), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pune.

On Wednesday, the FDA officials had seized drugs worth Rs 12,000 from a wholesaler in Erandwane. "The officials on Thursday seized the stock worth Rs 57,000 of the same drugs from one in Sadashiv Peth and stock worth Rs 2.68 lakh from a wholesaler in Hadapsar," Patil said.

He said, "The traders who diverted the stock to the open market removed the marking 'For Defence, Not for sale' on the drug strips and boxes bearing the imprint with some chemical. We are now tracking the trader who managed to get the stock and diverted it to the open market."

The officials have suspended the licences of the three wholesalers. "We are also seeking guidelines from our headquarters to see what action can be initiated against the wholesalers who had the stock," Patil said.

The association of drug wholesalers and retailers have boycotted those who had the stock meant for the defence personnel. Sushil Shah, the president of the Chemist Association of Pune District, said, "We have told retailers to purchase medicines only from authorized dealers."