The Delhi Drugs Control Department, in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Haryana, and Delhi Police, has busted an alleged illegal drug manufacturing and stocking racket operating from a residential apartment in outer Delhi’s Narela. The operation, which spanned two days, was carried out following specific intelligence about the suspected movement of spurious medicines from the premises. On the first day, officials detected an unlicensed manufacturing and packaging unit inside the apartment, recovering various equipment and machinery, including sealing machines, hand-operated seal crimping devices, heat guns, electric stirrers, precision weighing scales, industrial filter paper, glass beakers, rubber closures, and flip-off caps.
Thousands of unlabelled tablets suspected to be Tofacitinib, liquid vials of anabolic steroids, including Boldenone, Masteron and Testosterone variants, and chemical solutions used in drug preparation were also seized. The occupant of the flat claimed that the premises had been rented for stocking and packaging allopathic medicines, but no drug licence, purchase records, or stock registers could be produced. Acting on fresh intelligence, the joint team returned to the apartment complex the following day and searched common utility areas, leading to the recovery of additional consignments concealed inside electric utility shafts on multiple floors.
The recovered stock included bulk steroid hormone powders such as Progesterone, Oxandrolone, Mesterolone and Trenbolone Enanthate, over 1,500 finished steroid injection vials carrying ‘Made in Germany’ markings, more than 5,000 loose tablets, over 5,000 empty glass and amber vials, nearly 2,500 packaging boxes, thousands of flip-off caps, and several documents believed to be linked to the alleged illegal operation. The seized material has been taken into custody under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and samples have been sent for laboratory analysis. Preliminary findings indicate prima facie violations of Sections 18, 18A, and 18B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, relating to the manufacture, stocking, and distribution of drugs without valid licences.
Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh stated that the Delhi government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against those endangering public health through fake medicines. He congratulated the Delhi Drugs Control Department, FDA Haryana, and Delhi Police for exposing the alleged network and said surveillance and enforcement would be further strengthened. Further investigation is underway to identify others involved in the racket, trace the source and distribution chain of the seized products, and apprehend the absconding accused.
The entire search and seizure operation was videographed and digital hash values were generated on-site to preserve the chain of custody of electronic evidence.
