FDA seizes meds worth ₹30L meant for ‘defence use only’

MUMBAI: Medicines meant exclusively for defence personnel are being sold in retail shops in the city, said Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Maharashtra.

FDA seized diabetes medicines worth more than ₹30 lakh from warehouses supplying retail shops. It said distributors and online medicine traders could be part of a racket siphoning medicines from government stores.

A probe started last week after FDA officials received a tip-off from people who bought two medicines, Sitagliptin Phosphate and Vildagliptin, which are mainly used in treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes. The buyers reported that the packaging of the medicines carried a tag ‘For defence use only, not for sale’.

Following the complaints, a team from the intelligence bureau of FDA raided a Bycullabased distributor on Friday, and found medicines worth ₹18 lakh, which are only for use in defence establishments, in the godowns.

“The distributors were using whiteners to hide the tags that indicated the illegalities and then were selling medicines to several wholesalers and retailers across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane,” said an FDA official.

Abhay Pandey, president of All Food and Drugs Licence Holders Foundation (AFDLHF), who is assisting FDA officials in investigations, said two distributors in Mulund and Taloja and an online pharmacy giant, were found to be selling the medicines.

“The medicines manufactured for government agencies are sold at 45 to 50% cheaper costs as compared to its commercial rate. Thus, black-marketers try to lay their hands on the stock and earn profits by selling these medicines at high rates in commercial markets. We have demanded the inquiry be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigations as the racket may have reached to other states,” said Pandey.

While FDA officials are questioning five medicine distributors and retailers linked to the racket, no legal action has been taken so far.

“The officials are conducting extensive raids in and around the city. Final legal action will be taken once the investigations are over,” said Pallavi Darade, FDA commissioner for Maharashtra.