Srinagar/Jammu, June 16 (IANS) Police in J&K’s Anantnag district said on Tuesday that a notorious drug peddler was booked while authorities in Rajouri district suspended licences of two medical shops for selling habit forming drugs without the doctor’s prescription.

Continuing its relentless crackdown against drug trafficking and the menace of narcotics, Anantnag police have booked a notorious drug peddler under the provisions of the PIT-NDPS Act, a police official said.

The accused, Nisar Ahmad Gagroo, son of Ali Mohammad Gagroo, resident of Soaf Shali, Kokernag, was found to be involved in multiple cases registered under the NDPS Act and had been persistently engaged in illicit drug trafficking activities, posing a serious threat to society, particularly the youth.

Anantnag police, which had prepared a dossier on Gagroo, obtained the necessary approval from the competent authority and booked him under the PIT-NDPS Act.

He is presently lodged in Central Jail Kot Bhalwal, Jammu, where the detention warrant was executed. The preventive detention has been invoked to effectively curb his involvement in narcotics-related activities and to prevent him from continuing to engage in drug trafficking.

Anantnag police said that it remains committed to its zero-tolerance policy against drugs and will continue to take stringent legal action against drug peddlers and other individuals involved in narcotics-related offences to ensure a drug-free society.

In another major anti-drug action against violations of drug regulations, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma, suspended the licences of two medical stores after serious irregularities were detected during surprise inspections conducted in the Rajouri town.

The inspection drive, carried out in the presence of Chief Medical Officer Dr Manohar Lal Rana and SHO Rajouri, aimed to curb the misuse of habit-forming medicines and ensure strict adherence to the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

During the inspections, officials scrutinised records related to the sale and distribution of regulated medicines and examined stock registers to verify compliance with prescribed licensing conditions.

Authorities found serious discrepancies at M/s Hopewell Medicos, Kheora, Rajouri, and M/s Star Medicos, Gujjar Mandi, including failure to maintain mandatory sale records through the computerised billing system and alleged irregularities in the sale of habit-forming drugs.

Taking a serious view of the violations, the Licensing Authority suspended the retail drug sale licences of both establishments pending further orders under the relevant provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

The Deputy Commissioner reiterated that the sale and distribution of regulated pharmaceutical products must strictly conform to the legal framework to prevent misuse and safeguard public health.

He warned that any medical establishment found violating licence conditions or indulging in the unauthorised sale of restricted medicines would face stringent legal action.

He directed all chemists and pharmacy operators to maintain proper records, ensure transparency through computerised billing, and comply with all licensing requirements without exception.

The DC further stated that the district administration remains committed to its fight against drug abuse and to making Rajouri a drug-free district, adding that surprise inspections of medical establishments would continue across the district to ensure strict enforcement of the law and protect public interest.

–IANS

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