By Dominick Rodrigues

 Mumbai: The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) Mumbai registered 14 cases in regard to illegal sale of abortion drug “Medical Termination of Pregnancy” (MTP kit), after carrying out surprise raids on these dealers. Further police investigations are continuing.

Acting on a tip-off that that some retail chemists were selling the abortion kit at exhorbitant prices, The FDA raided the concerned Carrying & Forwarding Agents, Wholesalers, Retailers dealing in abortion drugs, and also hospitals involved in abortion procedures.

The FDA raided 384 such firms throughout Maharashtra during the period June 26 to July 92021 and nabbed the sellers for the kits sales at high prices, selling the MTP kit without issuing receipts and storing the MTP kits on unlicenced premises.

Decoy customers were sent to specific retail chemist shops, where the retailers were then caught red-handed in the illegal sales, the FDA stated, adding that an FIR has been registered against the concerned doctor of one hospital in Mumbai’s western region, who had refused to submit the information of usage of the MTP kit.

A total of14 cases were registered across Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik and Amravati Divisions in the state, while 11 people have been arrested and drugs worth Rs.47,378 seized in the raids. The FDA is also issuing 42 notices to wholesalers and retail chemists involved in serious violations noted during the inspection, and against whom further action would be taken.

Meanwhile, the FDA warned wholesalers and retailers to purchase the abortion Kit (MTP Kit) only from licensed dealers, and to also sell this drug under doctors’ prescription. The FDA also urged the public to consult their doctors and to not procure the abortion kit illegally, as it could lead to serious health problems.