The intelligence wing of the State Drugs Control department, in simultaneous raids conducted across the State in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode
districts have seized fake or spurious drugs worth ₹2 lakh.
“We intend to watch this trend closely. We followed a lead and it turned out to be true,” K. Sujith Kumar, State Drugs Controller-in-charge, said.
The fake drug seized was an inhaler used by asthma patients — SEROFLO Rotacaps 250 — a fast moving item, and manufactured by Cipla Ltd.
The drug proved to be fake because the purchase details could not be traced to the original source or the manufacturer (Cipla).
“The fake drugs were seized from a single person who claimed to have bought it from two distributors outside the State. The product had not reached the market. We could not trace the bill details beyond the first point and the distributors did not provide clarity as to from where they had sourced the drug. We will extend our enquiries beyond the State so that we can get down to the bottom of it,” Dr. Sujithkumar said.
“We have been keeping an eye on the medical shops sporting these discount boards, offering heavy discounts on drugs, as part of
“Operation Double Check” , is an initiative launched by the State Drugs Control Department to improve drug quality control by inspecting the supply chain of pharmacies.
Operation Double Check was about verifying that drugs are sourced correctly, are of standard quality, and are not sold at inflated prices. The aim was to ensure that all drugs available to the public were of standard quality. The department had launched a rigorous inspection system to trace the procurement sources of drugs sold by pharmacies, especially those offering significant discounts.
The ongoing enquiry into the fake drugs will be intensified. The State Drugs Controller has warned that traders who procure drugs from outside the State must keep all invoices from the manufacturer through the entire supply chain and that these must be produced for inspection.
He said that the drug licences of establishments which store medicines illegally and without proper documentation would be cancelled.
The department has taken legal measures against Balaramapuram-based Ashwas pharma and Thrissur-Poonkunnam-based Med World Pharma for stocking fake drugs for sale. Cases have been filed against these pharmacies and stringent measures including cancelling of drug licences would be taken, officials said.
Published – November 19, 2025 07:37 pm IST
