Raids planned on illegal meds makers before New Year’s Eve

Meerut: With the city residents gearing up for their annual New Year's Eve parties, the Meerut drug administration (a wing of the Food Safety and Drug Administration) has planned a series of raids across the city to unearth illegal medicine manufacturing units. This follows fears by the administration that makers of illegal drugs will take advantage of police and other officials being stuck in managing festivities, giving the manufacturers the chance to transport their products with impunity.
The move comes nearly three weeks after a television channel conducted a sting operation unearthing an illegal medicine making racket in Meerut. There were no arrests made in the case due to lack of evidence.
"The city is gearing up for celebrating New Year's Day. The administration would be busy with various issues that come up with it like traffic jams and other emergencies. There are chances that local illegal medicine manufacturers would take advantage and try to move or sell their products," said Sandeep Kumar, illegal drugs inspector, Meerut.
A two-member team has been formed to conduct raids, while extra manpower and police officials would be called upon whenever necessary, Kumar added.
The Meerut drugs administration along with police officials and drugs inspectors of Bulandshahr, Noida and Ghaziabad raided the Lisari gate area after a sting operation showed two men - Nikhil and Shaanu - to be fake medicine suppliers. But as the sting operation was aired on TV, the evidence was destroyed or moved to a different location by the two accused, due to which the police returned empty-handed.
"We have already arrested two people in the last three weeks who were on our radar and other raids are on to check that no such illegal drugs-making factory is active in the city. We target a few more arrests before the end of the year," said Kumar.
Talking to TOI, deputy inspector general (DIG), Meerut range, Ashutosh Kumar, said, "I think it was too premature of the TV channel to air the video. Had they got the drugs from these alleged manufacturers, we would have had evidence in our hands to be able to conduct arrests. But now raids are on and hopefully some suspects will be behind bars soon."