Mumbai: No prescription required, abortion pills at doorstep

An unplanned pregnancy can be terrifying, particularly for single, underage girls afraid of the backlash from their parents and society. This is the fear that online stores are exploiting, by offering abortion pills without prescriptions.

Just know this - it may sound easy to end a pregnancy with one click and a few pills, but without a doctor's consultation, it could just as easily end your life.

Selling abortion pills without prescription and age proof is illegal and a punishable offence under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTPA).

Also read: Doctor caught red handed in sting for selling abortion pills illegally at Rs 2,000 per tablet

But this mid-day investigation shows just how easy it is for anybody to go online and order a pregnancy termination kit without any medical advice or understanding of the risks involved.

This reporter posed as a customer and contacted several online portals that openly sell abortion pills without any documentation. It is a pan-India racket, and medicines are often supplied from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and New Delhi. However, there are also a few companies based in Mumbai that sell abortion pills illegally.

Women are lured with the promise of discreet packaging, and some companied even offer tracking services. Some charge Rs 350 to Rs 700, while others exploit the desperation of women even further, and charge as much as Rs 10,500. Don't have a prescription? No problem, just pay another Rs 1,500, and they'll write up a fake one for you.

mid-day visited the office of an Andheri-based online store, Ankur Drugs and Pharma Limited, but it had been sealed by the BMC two months ago. Pics/Bipin Kokate

'It takes minutes to start such websites'
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has shut down 50-55 such portals that sold medicines illegally without prescription. But it is harder to control illegal supply from other states, said Maharashtra FDA commissioner, Dr Harshdeep Kamble.

Also read: Wholesaler booked for supplying abortion pills

"Maharashtra FDA was the first to take steps against such illegal sales of medicines in India. Initially, we used to receive many complaints, but it has decreased due to our initiatives. But the supply is still on from other states. Whenever, we find out about it, we immediately inform the concerned officials to take steps," he said.

These websites are also very hard to track, as they enjoy anonymity on the Internet.

"It is easy to run such rackets, as there is no way to track them. They operate from the shadows and don't provide any address or contact details for the people involved. It only takes a few minutes to start such websites," added Kamble.

Case 1
One of the first online stores this reporter tried was Net for Health Solution, Uttar Pradesh. The store also runs a WhatsApp 'helpline' where customers can place orders for medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) pills. On May 18, after receiving a tip-off from a gynaecologist, the reporter placed an order for the pills at the price of Rs 350, along with an extra Rs 425 for delivery within 48 hours. Despite the extra charge, the package arrived four days later, with an MTP kit from a well-known pharmaceutical brand. On the package, however, there was no mention of the product. The courier description solely stated 'health'.
Cost: Rs 775
Documents: Not required
Delivery time: 4 days

Case 2
Some of the sellers, like the Delhi-based Online Medical Store India, send the package through reputed courier services like FedEx. In such cases, customers can track the package and ensure that they are present to receive it when it arrives. This reporter contacted the store through a bogus email ID, after which they provided a link to the merchant - an Ankush Goel on PayUMoney, where Rs 630 had to be paid. Five days later, on May 29, the package was delivered
Cost: Rs 630
Documents: Not required
Delivery time: 5 days

Case 3
On May 19, this reporter visited the online portal, India Mart, and enquired how to get abortion pills urgently. Following this, a salesman emailed from Ankur Drugs and Pharma Ltd, stating that their office was in Crystal Plaza, Andheri.

But on Thursday, mid-day visited the location and found that the office had been sealed by the BMC two months ago for non-payment of property tax.

However, they are still supplying medicines online from their head office in Daman.

The email came from an account by the name of John Williams, but the author of the letter stated that his name was Allan Kumar.

He told the reporter that it would cost Rs 10,500 for two MTP kits. He also said that it would cost an additional Rs 1,500 if there was no prescription, and that the delivery would be done in 24 hours after online payment to a specific bank account.

"Packaging very discreet, 100% guaranteed delivery… After completing a successful order with us, you should receive a tracking code when parcel have been registered with a reputable courier," reads the email.
Cost: Rs 10,500
Documents: Rs 10,500 for fake prescription
Delivery time: 1 day

Excerpts from an email:
I can't take the delivery at my house; can I collect it anywhere else?
If you don't have a prescription, you should pay extra to provide prescription for justification.

For delivery, give us any address; courier service will give you the product there. The payment is by bank deposit or transfer.

OK, send me the account details.
You want make payment now or tomorrow morning? You should pay Rs 1,500 extra for prescription.

Please give me two days to arrange for the money. What if I don't get the delivery after paying?
Delivery is 100% guaranteed. In case of loss or damage of your package, we will resend or refund in 24 hours.

Also read: Getting abortion pills no problem

Can I buy it directly, and not online?
We mostly do wholesale distribution. We do not have permission to take cash and our warehouse and financial service departments are not in the same place. Really sorry if you do not want to proceed by bank payment.