Hyderabad: The Commissioner’s Task Force and SR Nagar Police apprehended a suspected supplier and a consumer in a prescription drug seizure involving medicines valued at Rs 4.80 lakh.
Police identified the alleged supplier as Pathan Saleem, 28, of Venkatgiri in Yousufguda. They identified the consumer as Prashanth Reddy, 19, of Sanath Nagar. According to police, Saleem allegedly sold prescription medicines without valid doctors’ prescriptions to make illegal profits.
The Golconda Task Force team and SR Nagar Police caught the two during an operation at Vinayaka Construction in Sanath Nagar. Officers subsequently seized 12 vials of Termin injections and 10,000 Tapentadol tablets marked as Tapazole 100 mg.
They also recovered 450 bottles of Senkof cough syrup and six bottles of Alkof DX cough syrup. Each bottle contained 100 ml. Additionally, police seized a OnePlus Nord 5 mobile phone. Police estimated the total value of the seized property at Rs 4,80,300.
Prescription drug seizure followed tip-off
Police said Saleem was a native of Yousufguda and worked as an assistant to his elder brother, Pathan Shareef. His brother operated Smart Choice Health Pharmacy on the ground floor of Vinayaka Construction in Sanath Nagar, according to the press note.
Police alleged that Saleem sold Termin injections, Tapentadol tablets and cough syrups at higher prices when his brother was absent. The medicines were allegedly supplied without prescriptions.
Investigators further alleged that Saleem planned to sell the medicines on the black market for profit. According to police, he used his brother’s pharmacy rubber stamps while selling the medicines at different locations.
Saleem had also taken a separate storage space in the same building, police said. He allegedly used that space to stock and sell the medicines. Police said Prashanth Reddy sometimes purchased Senkof and Alkof DX cough syrups and Tapentadol tablets from Saleem for his own consumption.
Police catch two at Sanath Nagar store
According to the police account, Reddy approached Saleem’s store in Sanath Nagar to purchase medicines without a doctor’s prescription. He allegedly sought Senkof and Alkof DX cough syrups along with Tapentadol 100 mg painkiller tablets.
Acting on a tip-off, the Golconda Task Force and SR Nagar Police reached the location. Police said they caught the two during the transaction and recovered the medicines from their possession.
The prescription drug seizure included 100 boxes containing 10 strips each of Tapentadol tablets. Police put the total quantity at 10,000 tablets. The recovery also included the 12 Termin injection vials and 456 cough syrup bottles.
Authorities handed over both persons and the seized material to the Drug Inspector, Khairatabad Zone, for further action.
Task Force, SR Nagar Police conduct operation
The operation was conducted under the supervision of Task Force Golconda Zone Inspector M. Mahesh. Sub-Inspector K. Venkatramana of the Golconda Zone Task Force participated in the operation along with SR Nagar Police personnel and other staff.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Commissioner’s Task Force, Hyderabad City, Ande Srinivasa Rao issued the details of the operation. Police alleged that the medicines were stocked and supplied without valid prescriptions for illegal profit.
Further action in the prescription drug seizure case was handed over to the Drug Inspector of the Khairatabad Zone.