Stocks on duplicate hand sanitisers seized
Jamshedpur, March 19: A team led by SDO Chandan Kumar busted a racket involved in fake hand sanitiser manufacturing as police seized batches of these fake products.
Acting on a tip-off, raided the duplicate hand sanitiser manufacturing unit Shree Enterprises near Star Talkies at Burmamines and recovered the fake products. The team during interrogation found that the manufactures were using only colours to make the product.
�The city is witnessing a scarcity of sanitisers and face masks since the Covid-19 outbreak. In order to cash on the growing demand, several local traders are manufacturing the products illegally. Thry done even have license. During the raid we found that they were not adding chemicals but were only using colour to make products,� said SDO Kumar.
Police have nabbed those involved in manufacturing these fake products and filed cases under Essential Commodities Act, 1955, and other relevant sections of IPC and the Drugs Law.
On the basis of leads provided by Shree Enterprises, the team went conducted raids at KK Pharmaceuticals at Tapadia Apartment in Jugsalai. The police team seized several cartons of fake sanitisers and hand wash. Kamal Gupta owner of KK Pharmaceuticals was involved in distribution of fake products to cash more on the increase in demand.
During the investigation, the accused confessed as sales of hand sanitisers and similar products swelled across several markets since the Covid-19 outbreak began in January 2020, the accused started manufacturing hand sanitisers without using any kind of precautions or following the standards set by Drug & Ayush Departments.
The groups started distributing these products in around the city through various distributors and supplied the same to leading medical shops.
Pharmacists and traders in the city have claimed shortage of supply of hand sanitisers and masks amid fears over the deadly COVID-19, while people rued that these items were being sold at exorbitant rates, if available.
” We have been getting complains now we plan to conduct more such raids in and across the city. We will ensure that law takes its due to course over any irregularity related to it,” said an official.
