Three medical shop owners who were allegedly illegally selling prescription drugs for high sums of money were taken into custody by the Greater Chennai police here on Monday midnight.
A team of T.N. Police, along with the Drug Control Administration (DCA) officials and State Police, raided a few medical shops in Vijayawada on Monday. They seized the stock registers, bills and other incriminating documents. The raids were conducted based on a tip-off from Tamil Nadu police that some youth addicted to sedatives, meant to be sold only on a doctor’s prescription, were procuring it from Andhra Pradesh. The drugstore owners in the State were reportedly selling the sedatives in bulk.
Medicines seized
The St. Thomas Mount police registered a case on December 30, 2021,. They seized a large quantity of Tydol 100 mg tablets (Tapentadol 100 mg) from two persons and booked a case against them under the Narcotics Drugs and Pscyhotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The drugs were marketed by a Mumbai-based pharmaceuticals company and the accused confessed to have procured the tablets from two medical shops in Vijayawada through an intermediary, who had sent the drugs through a courier firm.
The team, led by St. Thomas Mount Inspector A. Antony Joachim Jerry and Drug Inspector P. Srirama Murthy conducted raids on the medical shops. Police and the DCA officials seized drugs, records, bills and other incriminating material from the drugstores
“We gave an intimation to the court and notices would be served on the owners of the medical shops. A case under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act would be registered,” said Krishna district DCA Assistant Director K. Anil Kumar.
Police and the DCA officials verified the medical shops and their godowns and found that the stores were licensed. The samples of the drugs and some ledgers have been seized, the AD said.
“Both the police and the DCA officials are investigating into the alleged sale, illegal hoarding and sale of drugs at high rates and other allegations,” the officer told The Hindu on Tuesday.
