Delhi Drugs Dept Busts Illegal Pharmacy in Shahdara, Seizes Amoxicillin, Azithromycin, 100+ Medicines
New Delhi: The Delhi Drugs Control Department has uncovered an illegal pharmacy operating in Shahdara's Rashid Market, seizing 104 varieties of medicines along with 23 expired drugs and confirming that the shop continued operations without a valid licence even after its cancellation in September 2024, with officials also verifying violations through a decoy purchase.
Acting on specific inputs, a team of drug inspectors conducted a raid on April 20 at a premises in Khureji village’s Rashid Market area.
During the inspection, the outlet was found to be functioning without the required licence and was engaged in the unauthorised sale of medicines.
Officials recovered a wide range of commonly used drugs, including antibiotics such as amoxicillin, azithromycin, cephalexin and ciprofloxacin, along with pain relief medicines like ibuprofen.
In total, 104 varieties of drugs were seized from the premises, while 23 expired medicines were also found stored for sale. Samples of certain medicines have been sent for laboratory testing to assess their quality.
To confirm the violations, authorities deployed a decoy customer who was able to purchase medicines without a prescription and without being issued a cash memo. The marked currency used in the operation was later recovered from the individual at the shop, establishing illegal sale practices.
Further investigation revealed that the premises had previously held a valid licence, which was cancelled in September 2024. Despite this, the shop continued its operations. The person present at the site admitted to selling medicines illegally and failed to provide any valid documentation.
Officials clarified that the case pertains to unauthorised sale of medicines and not to counterfeit drugs. The search and seizure process was carried out following due legal procedures, including proper documentation and videography.
Authorities stated that legal action will be initiated for operating without a licence and further steps will depend on the results of the drug quality tests, while efforts are also underway to trace the supply chain of the seized medicines, according to The Indian Express report.
