Despite being  on election duty the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) has busted the racket involving export of prescription drugs, including addictive anti-depressants, anti-hypertensives and those containing Sildenafil Citrate (a key component in drugs for erectile dysfunction including Viagra, also used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension).

 

The FDA has seized drugs worth over Rs 2 crore from different parts of Mumbai. A team of 10 drug inspectors from Thane were requisitioned as most of the city officials are on election duty to raid 15 spots on Friday and seizes worth several lakh drugs.

 

The first seizures worth over Rs 40 lakh were made on March 25 by the agency from the airport sorting station at Vile Parle and the Government Post Office (GPO) at Ballard Estate, based on a tip-off.

 

They lodged an FIR with the Airport police station against one of the distributors. A major chunk of these consignments are exported to the US, UK, Australia, Japan and Dubai,after orders are placed online.

 

According to sources, distributors here tie up with agents abroad after which the drugs are dispatched as per the order. While all these are prescription drugs, most of the seized drugs had invalid prescriptions.

 

FDA officials revealed this huge racket involving overseas buyers can get them easily and flout stringent rules in their local markets. Last year, more than 100 countries joined hands for an Interpol-supported campaign against online sale of illicit medicines, leading to 58 arrests worldwide and over 9,000 ‘online pharmacies’ being shut down.