Patiala : The Patiala drugs control department and district police uncovered violations at 11 of 16 medical stores, wholesale firms and clinics inspected during a four-day crackdown on the illicit trade in habit-forming prescription drugs.




A case under the NDPS Act was also registered against a clinic owner following seizure of Tramadol tablets.




The inspections, conducted from Oct 16 to Oct 19 across urban and rural areas, followed protests in neighbouring Mansa over the death of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota and allegations of a nexus between some chemists and bootleggers selling pharmaceutical opioids.




Zonal licensing authority Navjot Kaur said stock registers and other records were seized after discrepancies emerged between physical inventories and purchase and sale ledgers at these 11 establishments.




A joint team led by drugs control officer Parneet Kaur, Julkan police station SHO and the Rohar Jagir police post in charge inspected four establishments. Tramadol tablets were seized from a private clinic, following which police registered an FIR against its owner under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.




In another intelligence-led operation, drugs control officers from Patiala-1 and Patiala-4 and Kotwali SHO inspected five pharmaceutical firms. Officials confiscated 900 tablets worth about Rs 13,000 from a chemist who could not account for their commercial source or legitimate retail sale.




At Masingan village, officials confiscated 24 types of pharmaceutical formulations worth Rs 34,123 under Sections 18(a) and 18(c) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act over non-compliance and documentation failures. Proceedings have been initiated for licence suspensions and penal action.




Navjot Kaur said enforcement was being intensified under the state govt’s ‘ Yudh Nasheyan Virudh ’ campaign, following directions from health and family welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh to prevent retail pharmacies from supplying habit-forming substances under the guise of medical trade.