Fake diabetes drugs seized, Baddi unit owner on the run

Ambika Sharma

Solan, July 17

Spurious drugs having a face value of Rs 55 lakh were seized from the godown of a transport company and the premises of a Baddi-based pharmaceutical company by a team of drug officials yesterday.

‘Stop manufacturing’ orders issued

• The licensing authority concerned issued “stop manufacturing” orders to Magnatek Enterprises on Monday
• The firm, operational since 2016, was manufacturing tablet, capsule and liquid products
• Its approval for narcotic products was withdrawn in June last year after the registration of a case under the NDPS Act
• Its licence was suspended for a few days in June 2021, but the suspension was revoked later on

This is the fifth seizure of spurious drugs since September last year.

Pharmaceutical firm Magnatek Enterprises, Baddi, was raided by a team of drug officials after the recovery of spurious drugs from the godown of a transport company, RS Roadline, located on the Sai road at Baddi on Sunday.

The said firm was earlier booked by the Baddi police in June 2021 for cheating and criminal conspiracy and for violating the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for failing to provide the record of opioid etizolam salt. Though its licence was suspended by drug officials after the laxity came to fore, the suspension was later revoked.

State Drugs Controller Navneet Marwaha said the raid was conducted following a tip-off and preliminary probe into the nefarious activities of the drug firm.

“A spurious diabetes drug and a multivitamin, having a face value of Rs 55 lakh, manufactured in the name of Sikkim-based firms Mankind Pharma and Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited were seized from the godown,” the official said.

The Magnatek Enterprises unit was also raided after the staff of the transport company said the consignment was picked up from its premises. A large stock of in-process tablets and scrap, including remnants of blisters of the seized drugs, were seized by the raiding team.

A raid continued throughout the night at the godown of the transport company and the manufacturing unit on the intervening night of July 15 and 16. The owner and staff of Magnatek Enterprises are on the run. The unit has been sealed by the authorities. The vehicle used to transport the spurious drugs has also been seized.

The firm had reportedly sold a huge stock of spurious drugs in the market and efforts were underway to recover the entire material from the market.

“Since the consignment was headed for a wholesale chemist shop in central Delhi, the Drug Controller, Delhi, has also been informed about the suspected delivery of spurious drugs. Some drugs were supposed to be marketed in Haryana. The involvement of other accused in the case is under investigation,” said the Drug Controller. A notice has been issued to the unit proprietor to join investigation by the drug officials.