PESHAWAR: The health department has seized a big quantity of fake intravenous cannulas and manufacturing and packaging materials from a warehouse on GT Road, Peshawar, and Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate, Swabi, on Thursday.

A press release said the drug control task force and Drug Regulatory Authority with the support of respective district administrations arrested four persons and registered cases against them under Drug Act, 1976, and Drap Act. It said the administration recovered 300,000 I/V cannulas worth Rs40.5 million from a depot near Faisal Town, Peshawar.

The team also seized packaging and manufacturing materials, including illegal stamping machine, lasers and stamps of the Medicine Coordination Cell (MCC).

A manufacturing unit, Lasani Health Industry, in Gadoon Industrial Estate, Swabi, was also sealed for making surgical items illegally. The arrested people, it said, were planning to sell the items to government hospitals.

Officials said cases have been registered against owners and technical staff as per law.

In a separate press release, deputy commissioner Shafiullah Khan said that Hashir Surgical Services, an importer in Peshawar, had been sealed.

Published in Dawn, january 6th, 2023