Jammu: The Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) Jammu has seized a commercial consignment of 28,800 capsules of the scheduled drug Pregabalin (300 mg), valued at around ₹10 lakh, in a major enforcement operation aimed at curbing the illegal trafficking of habit-forming medicines.
The capsules, marketed under the brand name Devanyl-300, were intercepted after intelligence inputs from Jhajjar Kotli Police Station, which had stopped a passenger bus travelling from Amritsar, Punjab, to Katra carrying the unauthorised consignment.
Acting under the supervision of State Drugs Controller J&K Rajesh Kumar, a special enforcement team led by Assistant Drug Controller Jammu Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, along with Drug Control Officers Amit Bali and Amit Mahajan, reached the police station and conducted verification of the seized stock.
During the inspection, those transporting the consignment failed to produce valid drug licences, purchase invoices or authorised medical prescriptions. The entire stock was subsequently seized on the spot.
Authorities have launched an investigation to trace the illegal supply chain, identify the manufacturing source in Punjab and uncover the intended distribution network in Katra and adjoining areas.
State Drugs Controller Rajesh Kumar said legal action is being initiated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, warning that strict action will be taken against individuals or firms found involved in diverting scheduled medicines for non-therapeutic or abusive purposes.
Commissioner, FDA J&K, Khalid Jahangir reiterated the government’s commitment to safeguarding public health and tackling drug abuse, stating that intelligence-based enforcement drives and inspections will continue across the Union Territory to dismantle illegal drug distribution networks.
The Drug and Food Control Organisation has also appealed to the public to report any instances of illegal sale, diversion, hoarding or misuse of prescription medicines to help authorities take timely action against violators.
