Factory manufacturing banned oxytocin injections busted in Lucknow, 4 arrested

Lucknow: The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA), in collaboration with the Special Task Force (STF) has seized 230 liters of fake Oxytocin with a market value of around Rs 2 crore in Lucknow. The raid was carried out at a factory in the Para area of Lucknow involved in the illegal production of banned Oxytocin injections and four individuals were arrested on the spot. ADG law and order Amitabh Yash said that during the raid, officials uncovered a large cache of the banned hormone, 43 gallons of 5 liters each, and one gallon of 50 liters. In addition to the Oxytocin, the team recovered a pickup truck, a car, five mobile phones, and Rs 16,500 in cash. Oxytocin, a synthetic hormone, is known to have harmful effects on both humans and animals. It is often misused for increasing milk production in dairy animals and hastening the ripening of fruits and vegetables. According to PTI, he claimed that the STF had been tracking these traffickers for some time and, after thorough investigation, they conducted the raid with the local police and narcotics department. The raid targeted a house where the illegal packaging of Oxytocin was underway. The arrested individuals have been identified as Irfan from Thakurganj, Dildar Ali from Mahima Khera Rahimabad, Shahnawaz from Lakhimpur Kheri, and Mohammad Saheb from Tiliya, Raebareli. During interrogation, the accused revealed that their network procured high-density Oxytocin injections from Bihar through parcel shipments, labeled as "mineral water" to avoid suspicion. These were then repacked into different sizes of vials and distributed across Lucknow and nearby districts. Oxytocin poses serious health risks when used inappropriately. It can harm the health of dairy animals and, when mixed with phenyle, becomes even more dangerous, leading to severe diseases. In humans, misuse can lead to increased heart and kidney problems. This is the second such bust in recent months. Two months ago, a similar operation led to the shutdown of a factory making banned Oxytocin under the guise of Hanumant Kirana and General Store in the Kakori area. The team had seized 2,396 filled bottles, 77,900 ampoules, 800 empty bottles, rubber caps, aluminum seals, plastic cups, salt packets, and equipment used for filling injections. The total value of the seized material was approximately 1.2 crore rupees. Authorities have sent samples of the seized injection for further testing and have sealed off the remaining stock for investigation.