Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Seizes 15,000 Bottles Of Codeine Cough Syrup

The FDA worked on a tip-off that there was a group supplying Codeine containing cough syrups, often seen as a stepping stone to addiction, to school children.

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized nearly 15,000 bottles of codeine cough syrup costing over Rs 15 Lakhs from Kashimira, Thane.

Inspectors from the drug regulator's intelligence unit started keeping a watch on accused Dalaram Choudhari, who was tricked into supplying a few bottle to the FDA officials, who had posed as customers. Dalaram was caught with eight boxes of leading cough syrup brands, including Corex, Rexcof, Rancof, etc at the Fountain Hotel in Kashimira. Bharat Choudhari another accused in this case whose godown at Nala Sopara was being used to stack the bottles. The team of FDA officials led by OP Sadhwani and Kashimira police raided Bharat's godown and found 145 boxes full of cough syrup. Among the contents were Rexcof manufactured by Cipla, Reskop by Promed laboratories, Corex manufactured by Pfizer, Rancodex manufactured by Smilax healthcare Pvt, and Conex manufactured by Acron Pharmaceuticals. "Investigations so far show that the drugs have been illegally procured," said Kamble.

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FDA commissioner Harshadeep Kamble said that the stock was likely to be sold in Mumbai as well as sent to other regions of the country. "As per the information we have gathered, the stock was meant to be supplied to north-eastern states and West Bengal, where it could be sold at three times the price," he said, adding that the department is certain that a bigger network is involved.

Dalaram was arrested under sections 18A, 18C of Drug and Cosmetics Act and 328, 336, 269, 36 of IPC. However, Bharat has been on a run and the police are looking out for him.

Source-Medindia

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