With sanitisers being in major demand after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, several accounts of spurious sanitiser rackets have been recorded across the country. In a similar case, a fake sanitiser manufacturing unit located in Nedumbassery in Kerala was busted on Thursday, in a raid carried out by the state Drugs Controller Department.
The team from the Drugs Controller Department included Intelligence Branch Drugs Inspector Jayan Philip, Regional Drug Inspector Aju Joseph Kurien and Drugs Inspector Glacid Kachappilly. They reportedly seized Rs 5 lakh worth of fake sanitiser from the illegal manufacturing unit. While talking to a leading daily, Inspector Jayan Philip said, “We have seized 2,000 litres of sanitiser manufactured using fake labels of various brands.”
“The excise department first received information on the matter. Raju, a native of Nedumbassery, owns this house and his involvement can be ascertained only after a detailed inquiry. We have sealed the house after taking the samples,” Jayan further said.
Reports show that, earlier this week fake sanitiser brands were seized from two shops in Anchumana in Edapally and South Aduvassery in Aluva.
The manufacturing centre raided on Thursday is suspected to be run by Aluva native Hashim, who fled the scene on Thursday. However, reports suggest that he is currently in Mumbai. According to Mathrubhumi, police reported that the manufacturing unit was functioning in the city since the nation-wide lockdown in March 2020, and that the fake sanitiser was sold under the name of branded products. The license number of medicine manufacturing units in Manjummel in Kerala and Gujarat were used as labels on the sanitiser bottles.
Officials posed as customers looking to buy the spurious sanitiser, and subsequently zeroed in on and raided the manufacturing unit at Nedumbassery.
The sanitiser was found to be spurious during the primary investigation. However, the sample has been sent to a lab in Kakkanad in Kerala. The team from the Drugs Controller Department said that further actions will be taken after the lab results are out, reported Mathrubhumi.