State drugs & Food Control Organization tightens noose over illegal drug peddlers; intensifies surprise inspections

Srinagar : The State Drugs and Food Control Organization, tightening noose over unlicensed and illegal drug peddlers operating in the Valley, has intensified surprise inspections of several transport agencies here.
In this regard, the enforcement staff of Drug & Food Control Organization with an aim to check growing instances of drug peddling in the Valley, conducted exhaustive inspection of several areas in Srinagar city.
Pertinently, the transport owners were served notices under the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 commanding that “No consignment of drugs being transported to Jammu & Kashmir from outside shall be released in favor of consignees for the next 10 days from the date of issuance of notice without prior clearance of the concerned Drug Control Officer”.
In pursuance to the notice, a transport agency located at Parimpora Srinagar informed the concerned Drug Control Officer that a consignment of drugs booked in the name of M/s AI Enterprises Srinagar as sought permission to release the same in favor of the consignee. The concerned officer along with other team members reached the godown and found that the consignment contained Codisan Cough Syrup and Maxcoff Cough Syrup manufactured by M/s Three B Healthcare Limited, Rampura Road, Paonta Sahib, District Sirmour HP-173025.
After on spot enquiry regarding the particulars of the consignment, it was observed that the said person had managed to get the consignment booked by resorting to impersonation and fraud. All related evidences and documents were obtained and preserved for initiating further action in the matter.
Accordingly, the accused namely Adil Farooq Rah has been taken into custody for conducting further investigation.
The inspection team, headed by Deputy Drugs Controller, Kashmir, Irfana Ahmad, was comprised of Drug Control Officers including Sajad Ahmad, Shabir Ahmad Pandit, Shahnawaz Ahmad, Rumeesa Mohammad and Humaria Shawl besides Assistant Controller Drugs, Mohammad Younis.
Deputy Drugs Controller, Kashmir has lauded the role of transport agencies and said that in absence of their unconditional support, it was difficult to get hold of such peddlers, who are operating presumably by raising fake regulatory clearances related to Pharma trade.
Meanwhile, State Drugs Controller of J&K, Lotika Khajuria, has taken up the matter with the respective State Drugs Controller where the manufacturing units whose products have been confiscated in the raid are located. She emphasized that the stakeholders have to work in tandem to unlock the nexus of nefarious persons who are engaged in such heinous crimes. She further said that the drug intoxication has a potential to spoil the social fabric of the society and weaken the mindset of future generations. She has appealed the public to provide support to the department by reporting any instance of drug abuse to their nearest Drug Control Officer or alternatively lodge such complaints directly to the grievance cell of the department at [email protected] or 0191-2538527.