Hyderabad: Acting on gathered intelligence, officials from the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana conducted a raid on the premises of a dealer named Gunda Maheshwara Murthy, operating under the firm name ‘MS Medical Systems’. The establishment, located at D. No. 12-13-617 & 618/6/1, Ground floor, Surya Vamshi Apartment, Street no 14, Lane no. 1, Nagarjuna Colony, Tarnaka, Secunderabad, was found to be operating without the necessary license or registration certification in an unauthorized manner.
During the raids conducted on 7th and 8th March, officers from the Drugs Control Administration, Secunderabad zone detected substantial stocks of ‘nebulizers’ and ‘steam sterilizers’ at the premises of MS Medical Systems. Both nebulizers and steam sterilizers are classified as ‘Medical Devices’ according to the Medical Devices Rules of 2017.
V.B. Kamalasan Reddy (IPS), DG said that “As per the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, it is mandatory for any entity engaged in the sale of medical devices to obtain a license or registration certificate from the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana.
DCA officers seized stocks of nebulizers and steam sterilizers worth Rs. 6.5 lakhs during the raid.”
Smt. D. Saritha, Assistant Director, Secunderabad, B. Govind Singh, Drugs Inspector, Secunderabad, Smt. G. Indira Priyadarshini, Drugs Inspector, Habsiguda, and G. Anil, Drugs Inspector, Malakpet were among the officers who carried out the raid.
The Drugs Control Administration issues licenses or registration certificates for the stocking and selling of Medical Devices in accordance with the provisions of the ‘Medical Devices Rules’ under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Stocking and sale of medical devices without a license/registration certificate is punishable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, with imprisonment for up to five years.
In another action officials from the Drugs Control Administration, Nalgonda Zone, acting on credible information, conducted raids on the 7th and 8th of March in Mattampally Village, Suryapet District, along with officials from the Excise Department, to bust the illegal stocking and sale of habit-forming drugs to drug addicts.
During the raids, officers detected that Ramavath Ravindra Naik, who runs a medical shop by the name of New Durga Bhavani Medical Stores in Mattampally Village, stocked habit-forming drugs at his house and was selling them illegally at exorbitant prices to drug addicts.
Ramavath Ravindra Naik, who is the proprietor and registered pharmacist of the medical shop, illegally stocked 10 varieties of drugs at his residence, out of which two varieties of habit-forming drugs in huge quantities were found. Officers detected 80 bottles of Codeine-containing cough syrups and 150 tablets of Nitrazepam during the raid. Officers seized stocks worth a total of Rs. 20,414/- during the raid.
Ramavath Ravindra Naik procured habit-forming drugs from Venkata Sai Surgical Distributor, Kodad, and Sai Durga Pharma, Kodad. Raids were carried out at the two agencies by the DCA officers, and the supply of huge quantities of habit-forming drugs to Ramavath Ravindra Naik was detected.
K. Dass, Assistant Director, Nalgonda, G. Surender, Drugs Inspector, Suryapet, Govardhan, Sub-inspector, Excise Department, K. Someshwar, Drugs Inspector, Nalgonda, and J. Ashwin Kumar, Drugs Inspector, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri District were among the officers who carried out the raid.
The abuse of habit-forming drugs like codeine syrups and nitrazepam tablets can lead to severe physical and psychological consequences. Codeine syrups and Nitrazepam tablets are often misused for their sedative effects, leading to addiction and dependence. Continued misuse or overdose of these drugs can result in respiratory depression, seizures, coma, and even death.
Illegal stocking and sale of habit-forming drugs is a grave offence and is punishable under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, with imprisonment for up to five years.
