The Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) has cancelled the licences of two firms and taken action against two others after raids in Vadodara and Surat districts uncovered alleged illegal storage and sale of controlled and prescription medicines, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.
The action followed information provided by the Maharashtra unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). In Karjan, Vadodara district, a joint raid at Chamunda Pharma led to the seizure of 13,938 bottles of Anarex cough syrup containing codeine, valued at an estimated Rs 27.8 lakh, and 12,240 Tramadol tablets valued at about Rs 50,000.
The FDCA said the codeine-based cough syrup falls under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Chamunda Pharma was sealed for what the authorities described as serious violations, while its drug sale licences under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act were cancelled with effect from October 1.
A separate inspection was conducted at Majisa Medical Stores in Karjan, which was associated with Chamunda Pharma. Officials found stocks of Lomotil tablets containing a component covered under the NDPS Act. The firm was issued a show-cause notice, and its retail drug sale licence was cancelled with effect from October 5, the statement said.
The enforcement action also covered online medicine sales in Surat. During a raid at Dermatics India in Varachha on October 1, investigators found that the firm was selling medicines through its website without a valid licence. Authorities seized stocks including sildenafil, minoxidil and ketoconazole valued at more than Rs 11.3 lakh.
At Kyara International in Mota Varachha, Surat, an inspection on October 3 found digital evidence of medicine sales worth Rs 3.6 lakh over one month through online platforms. According to the FDCA, the products were sold using the false name ‘Sildenafil Ayurvedic’.
The cases highlight the regulatory challenge created by medicine distribution that operates across licensed premises, associated retail outlets and online platforms. The FDCA’s action involved both physical stock seizures and examination of digital sales evidence, while the official statement did not disclose further legal proceedings or penalties beyond the licence cancellations and notices.
