PATNA: A fake drugs racket was busted in
Patna on Friday and spurious
medicines worth Rs 7 lakh seized from a manufacturing unit operating out of a house in Zakaria complex in Ramkrishna Nagar. The owner of the unit, Valmiki Prasad, managed to flee.
Additional drug controller Vishwajeet Dasgupta said told TOI that expired allopathic medicines were being used to manufacture the spurious ayurvedic drugs.
This racket had been going on for over two years, he added.
“Ingredients like mango leaves and similar material were mixed with expired allopathic medicines so that the medicines tasted and smelled like ayurvedic ones. Allopathic medicines were crushed and used as ayurvedic medicines,” said Vishwajeet.
Stickers of some well-known ayurvedic medicines, boxes and wrappers were discovered from the spot. Officials said the fake medicines were being manufactured manually.
“The seized medicines have been sent to the drug department’s laboratory in Agamkuan for tests. The team will also raid shops all over the state to check the sale of these fake medicines,” Vishwajeet said.
Sources said the accused, Valmiki Prasad, who ran the unit had connections with wholesale medicine traders at Govind Mitra Road here and had introduced himself as a lawyer in the locality where he stayed. He had even purchased a land adjacent to his rented house worth Rs 42 lakh.