KARACHI, May 30: Fake drugs and gold ornaments worth over Rs2 million were recovered and one person was arrested in a surprise raid on the Medicine Wholesale Market on Tuesday. The raid was conducted by a special team on the directive of the Sindh Health Minister, Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani.

The team was led by the Additional Secretary Health and Chairman Task Force, Capt (Retd) Abdul Majid, along with Judicial Magistrate South Karachi, Chief Drug Inspector Salahuddin Tunio, Drug Inspectors Sajid Raza, Kazi Akbar, Saleem Leghari, Tahir Khanzada, Idrees Shaikh, Qalb-i-Hasan with the support of police.

The team raided medicine godowns in the presence of representatives of the Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association during which fake medicines, including lifesaving drugs and ornaments worth Rs1 million each and cash Rs10,000, were recovered.

The task force also arrested one Shakeel, owner of Ittehad Traders, from whose possession the gold ornaments worth Rs1 million and cash of Rs10,000 were recovered.

The recoveries included stickers of fake medicines, unpacked medicines besides medicines of various hospitals including the JPMC, Liaquat National, PTCL and the Balochistan Government.

Mr Qaimkhani congratulated members of the task force on the successful operation and said the culprits engaged in the heinous trade of manufacturing and distributing fake medicines and playing with the lives of people for a few pennies would be dealt with an iron hand.

He warned unregistered and substandard blood banks to wind up their businesses.—APP/PPI