Crackdown on illegal medicine sales in Delhi's Shahdara; raid held

Delhi's Drugs Control Department raided a premises in Shahdara for illegally selling medicines without a valid license. One person was apprehended after a decoy customer confirmed the malpractice. 104 drug varieties, including expired items, were seized.

The Drugs Control Department, GNCTD, launched a crackdown against the illegal sale of medicines in Shahdara, Delhi, on Tuesday. Acting on secret information regarding the unauthorised sale of drugs without a valid licence, a team of Drug Inspectors carried out a raid at premises located in Rashid Market, Village Khureji, Shahdara.

Government Pledges Firm Action

Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said, "The Government of Delhi remains firmly committed to safeguarding public health and ensuring that medicines are sold strictly in accordance with the law. Any violation, especially the illegal sale or distribution of drugs, will be dealt with strict action. We urge all stakeholders to adhere to regulatory norms and citizens to remain vigilant and report any such malpractices."

Decoy Operation Exposes Unlawful Sales

As part of the operation, a decoy customer was deployed, who successfully purchased multiple medicines without a prescription and without issuance of a cash memo, confirming illegal sale practices.

Upon inspection, one individual, identified as Harbhagwan alias Bharat, was found operating the premises and was admitted to selling drugs unlawfully.

Further investigation revealed that the premises were previously operating under a valid drug licence, which had been cancelled in September 2024 by the competent authority. Despite this, the premises continued to stock and sell medicines in violation of legal provisions.

Expired Drugs Among Items Seized

During the raid, a total of 104 varieties of drugs meant for sale and distribution were seized. Additionally, 23 expired drug items were recovered from the premises. Samples of selected drugs were collected for quality analysis, and the marked currency note used in the decoy operation was recovered from the accused.

The individual failed to produce any valid drug licence for the sale, stocking, or distribution of medicines, thereby violating provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

According to the Delhi Health Minister, the entire search and seizure proceedings were conducted as per legal protocol, including videography and proper documentation to ensure evidentiary integrity. Further investigation is underway to identify the source of the seized drugs and to take strict legal action against all involved parties.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)