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600 litres of Oxytocin seized from Kalyan godown, 3 held
The city crime branch conducted a raid and arrested three persons, including a godown owner in Kalyan, and recovered a total of 600 litres of the medicine Oxytocin
The city crime branch conducted a raid and arrested three persons, including a godown owner in Kalyan, and recovered a total of 600 litres of the medicine Oxytocin .
Police said the accused were allegedly illegally selling the drug to cow and buffalo owners in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. The government has banned Oxytocin for veterinary use as it has harmful side-effects.
“Owners of cow and buffalo stables in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Kalyan, inject the animals with the medicine so that they produce more milk. It affects the health of the animals and humans who consume the milk,” said a crime branch officer.
The arrested accused have been identified as Masi Sadik Khot, 37, Najib Jilani Khotal, 37, and Anis Jainuddin Khande, 44.
“Khotal used to purchase 90ml Oxytocin at ₹30 from Khot and then sell it for ₹60 to cattle owners,” said police inspector Sunil Mane of unit 10. Police are now trying to identify the pharmaceutical company from which Khot got the Oxytocin. “We have been questioning him to find out the main supplier,” said Mane.
Police constable Sachin Thombre of unit 10, got information about the medicines being illegally sold for use on animals. Following the tip-off, officers of unit 10 along with officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laid a trap and intercepted a taxi in Powai on Wednesday evening. Khande was driving the vehicle with Khotal as a passenger.
“We searched the taxi and found a white plastic bag containing 1,000 bottles of Oxytocin worth ₹60,000. Khotal and Khande were remanded in police custody for inquiry,” said Akbar Pathan, deputy commissioner of police (crime branch).
A case was registered at the Powai police station and during the inquiry, the accused revealed that Khot owned a godown in Kalyan, said Mane.
A police team raided the godown and seized 500 litres of Oxytocin, and arrested Khot. The three accused will be produced in court on Thursday.
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