The Gujarat Police, under the guidance of DGP Vikas Sahay, launched a statewide checking campaign, and checked 7,575 medical stores, to curb the misuse and illegal sale of narcotic drugs. The campaign aimed to ensure compliance with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, specifically targeting the sale of prescription-only medicines without a valid prescription, excessive storage of prohibited substances, and unauthorized sale of intoxicating substances. The drive was conducted in collaboration with the Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), said a statement from the Gujarat Home Department.
The drive focused on medical stores located near educational institutions, said sources.
Strict action was taken if a medical store was found to be selling drugs like Amidopyrine, Phenacetin, Nialamide, Chloramphenicol, Phenylephrine, Furazolidone, Oxyphenbutazone and Metronidazole without prescription.
DGP Vikas Sahay in a video statement said, “ The drive to check the medical shops, especially the ones near schools and colleges, for illegal sale of drugs was organised following a meeting conducted by MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi on July 9. The drive was held in collaboration with the FDCA.”
Over 1,600 teams checked a total of 7,575 medical stores across the state during which irregularities were found in several stores and cases were filed against them, said Sahay.
He also appealed to the public to inform the police if there is any illegal activity going on in medical stores in their vicinity. “We are eager to act on any such information. The intention isn’t to harass anyone, but to fight against illegal activities,” said the DGP. A total of 235 cases were filed against 54 people by the Ahmedabad City Police after checking 880 medical stores. Of these 178 cases were filed under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 53 under the Juvenile Justice Act, two under the NDPS Act, and two for possession of e-cigarettes. A total of 333 stores were checked in Surat city, where 93 codeine syrups were seized from one medical store and 15 codeine syrups and five alprazolam bottles from another medical store, said the police. In Valsad, 282 medical stores were checked, in Patan 61, 184 in Navsari, 66 in Jamnagar, 258 places in Bharuch district and 23 in Dangs district. Checking was also carried out in 129 medical stores in Dahod district, 112 in Panchmahal district and 317 in Gandhinagar district among others.
