New Delhi, February 23 The Delhi Police has uncovered a factory involved in the manufacturing and repackaging of spurious medicines and psychotropic substances near Patna, an official said on Monday.
The operation took place during an investigation of an FIR registered under the NDPS Act at the Crime Branch police station, he said.
The police said the breakthrough came days after two similar illegal pharmaceutical units were exposed in Bihar.
Acting on information gathered from previous arrests and the interrogation of an accused identified as Arun, a team of the Crime Branch zeroed in on another suspect, Brijesh, who was allegedly running an illegal manufacturing and repackaging unit, a senior police officer said.
The officer said that Arun was earlier found coordinating the illegal manufacture and distribution of opioids and operating a clandestine medicines unit. Based on his disclosure, the team with the local drug department raided the unit.
"It was found to be operating without a valid manufacturing license and in the absence of mandatory technical staff, including manufacturing and analytical chemists. Legal proceedings have been initiated as per due process," he added.
The team has seized a massive haul of spurious tablets, syrups, machinery and packaging material from the premises.
The team suspects that expired medicines were being repackaged and diverted to the market through bogus medical fronts at inflated prices, posing a serious risk to public health.
"With this operation, the team has so far arrested nine persons in the broader case and recovered over 13 kg of Tramadol powder and more than 500 grams of Alprazolam, among other psychotropic substances," the officer said, adding that efforts are underway to track down other members.
