Sambalpur/Bargarh: In a major crackdown Saturday, a joint team of drug inspectors from Sambalpur and Bargarh districts including local police busted a fake COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing unit at Rishida village under Bheden police limits in Bargarh district.
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The team seized large quantities of fake COVID-19 vaccines, packets, powders and chemical substances from the unit which was run by one Prahalad Bishi, under the banner of Anatha Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
“After receiving a tip-off, we raided the unit and found Bishi to be preparing a large quantity of fake COVID-19 vaccine. Fake vaccines with COVID-19 stickers were seized,” Bargarh Drug Inspector Sasmita Behuria said.
A huge cache of the counterfeit drug was to be supplied to the open market as vaccine for COVID-19 treatment, police sources informed.
According to a source, the accused — a 32-year-old man — has studied only up to Class-VII. About three days back, Prahalad mailed Bargarh Drug Inspector seeking her official permission for sale of the ‘vaccine’.
As Prahalad claimed that he has produced the vaccine without any lab test, the Drug Inspector asked her Sambalpur counterpart to look into the matter. Sambalpur Drug Inspector Samir Mallick reached out to him for an inspection. Failing to get any satisfactory reply from the man, Mallick seized all vaccines and medicines from the unit.
On the other hand, the seized items have been sent to a laboratory in Bhubaneswar for examination. A detailed investigation is underway.
PNN