Mumbai: FDA finds drug manufacturer operating without licence, seizes material worth over Rs 1 crore

Representative Image. File Photo

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in Maharashtra raided three sites in Palghar district and seized material worth Rs 1.41 crore from a pharma company, after finding that it did not have a licence to manufacture drugs in the state, officials told PTI on Friday.

According to the PTI report, the raids were conducted at the units of Gaharwar Pharma Products Pvt. Ltd. in Vasai taluka of the district, they said.

The company had reportedly obtained a licence to manufacture ayurvedic drugs in Haryana. However, as per the PTI report, it was producing these medicines in Vasai without permission to do so, the FDA said in its release.

As per the PTI report, the drugs that were supposed to be manufactured in Haryana were shown to be sold to Onkar Pharma in Punjab. However, Onkar Pharma was found operating from Vasai and was distributing drugs from there by fraudulently showing the place of dispatch as Jalandhar, it said.

The Ayurvedic drugs, raw material, types of machinery, packing material, labels and pouches worth around Rs 1.41 crore were seized from the manufacturing unit, it added, according to PTI.

According to the PTI report, an investigation into the case is underway, and suitable legal action will be taken against the manufacturer after the completion of the probe, it said.

Rs 4,131 crore of drugs seized in 5 months against Rs 897 crore in entire 2023

The anti-narcotics teams seized drugs worth Rs 4,131 crore in five months of 2024 in Maharashtra, a 360 per cent increase over the value of contraband seized in the last calendar year, the Maharashtra government data shows, reported news agency PTI.

The Maharashtra government also found the involvement of some police officials in the drug trade and they have been dismissed from service, Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis said in the state legislative council on Thursday, according to PTI.

"The anti-narcotics teams carried out 12,648 operations and seized banned substances valued at Rs 897 crore in the calendar year 2023. However, as of May this year, the teams conducted 6,529 operations and confiscated banned substances worth Rs 4,131 crore in the state," Devendra Fadnavis said, according to PTI.

These teams were formed following the Centre's request to all state governments to develop a joint action plan, coordinating the efforts of various departments to check the production and trade of banned substances, he said.

(With inputs from PTI)