Illegal drug factory producing veterinary medicines busted

ISLAMABAD: A team of officials from the drug control section of Islamabad health department and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Tuesday busted an unlicensed drug factory in Sihala area of Islamabad where medicines for the poultry and livestock were being manufactured illegally, officials said.

“Today the drug control team of health department of Islamabad along with FIA conducted a joint raid in Sihala area where a veterinary drugs manufacturing factory was operating in a house located in residential area. Veterinary drugs were being manufactured without any valid license and registration/enlistment at the illegal factory”, Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, Chief Drug Inspector Islamabad told The News. Sardar Shabbir said the illegal factory was established in a house, owned by one Muhammad Irfan, who was also living in the same premises along with his family and added that top floors of the residential compound were being used to manufacture illegal drugs.

“Huge quantities of finished drugs have been seized by the drug control team of Islamabad along with the machinery, raw material and packaging material”, Sardar Shabbir said, adding that they had sealed the factory while an FIR had been lodged against the culprit Muhammad Irfan, who was taken into custody.

To a query, he said as Drug Act 1976 and other relevant laws, any person running an unlicensed drugs factory and producing unregistered medicines, either for the human consumption or for the livestock could face life imprisonment upto 10 years and a fine of Rs5 lakh.