Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Tuesday that the Drugs Control Department unearthed a racket of illegal sale of medicines in East Delhi’s Shahdara and seized a large quantity of drugs.​

Acting on secret information regarding the unauthorised sale of drugs without a valid licence, a team of Drug Inspectors under the supervision of the Assistant Drugs Controller (East) carried out a raid on a premises located in Rashid Market, Village Khureji, Shahdara.​

During the raid carried out on Monday, a total of 104 varieties of drugs meant for sale and distribution were seized. Additionally, 23 expired drug items were recovered from the premises, he said.​

Samples of selected drugs were collected for quality analysis, and the marked currency note used in the decoy operation was recovered from the accused, said a statement.​

The individual failed to produce any valid drug licence for the sale, stocking, or distribution of medicines, thereby violating provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, it said.​

The Minister said, “The government remains firmly committed to safeguarding public health and ensuring that medicines are sold strictly in accordance with the law.”​

“Any violation, especially the illegal sale or distribution of drugs, will be dealt with strict action. We urge all stakeholders to adhere to regulatory norms and citizens to remain vigilant and report any such malpractices,” said the Minister.​

As part of the operation, a decoy customer was deployed, who successfully purchased multiple medicines without a prescription and without issuance of a cash memo—confirming illegal sale practices, the statement said.​

Upon inspection, one individual was found operating the premises and was admitted to selling drugs unlawfully. Further investigation revealed that the premises had previously held a valid drug licence, which was cancelled by the competent authority in September 2024.​

Despite this, the premises continued to stock and sell medicines in violation of the law, the statement said.​

The entire search and seizure was conducted in accordance with legal protocol, including videography and proper documentation to ensure evidentiary integrity. Further investigation is underway to identify the source of the seized drugs and to take strict legal action against all involved parties.​

The Drugs Control Department reiterates its commitment to ensuring public health and safety and warns against the illegal sale and distribution of medicines, the statement said.​

–IANS

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