Investigations are ongoing to trace the source of the medicines and identify others involved. (An AI-generated sequential image/Gemini)
The Delhi government’s Drugs Control Department busted an illegal medicine sale operation in East Delhi’s Shahdara, officials said on Tuesday.
Acting on a tip-off, drug inspectors conducted a raid on April 20 at a shop in Rashid Market in Khureji village. The premises were found to be operating without a valid licence and allegedly selling medicines in violation of rules.
Officials said commonly used drugs, including antibiotics such as amoxicillin, azithromycin, cephalexin and ciprofloxacin, as well as painkillers like ibuprofen, were seized during the raid. Samples have been sent for laboratory testing.
A senior health department official clarified that the case does not involve fake medicines, but an unlicensed pharmacy. “We have collected samples for testing. The main issue is that the shop’s licence had already been cancelled earlier,” the official said.
To confirm the violations, a decoy customer was sent in and was able to purchase medicines without a prescription or cash memo.
During the search, officials seized 104 varieties of drugs meant for sale and distribution, along with 23 expired medicines. The total value of the seized stock is being assessed.
Authorities said this was a standalone case and not part of a wider crackdown. The raid was carried out based on specific information that medicines were being sold illegally, including at odd hours.
Investigators found that the shop had previously held a valid licence, which was cancelled in September 2024. However, it continued operations despite the cancellation. The person present at the premises admitted to selling medicines without a licence and failed to produce any valid documents.
The marked currency note used in the decoy operation was also recovered.
Officials said a case will be filed for operating without a licence, and further legal action will be taken if the drug samples are found to be substandard. Investigations are ongoing to trace the source of the medicines and identify others involved.
