The Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has permanently cancelled the drug sale licences of four firms in Vadodara and Surat following a series of inspections that uncovered the alleged illegal storage and sale of controlled medicines, including codeine-based cough syrup, Tramadol, and Sildenafil. The crackdown, carried out on the instructions of Health Minister Praful Pansheriya, reflects the state's escalating push against both physical and online illegal medicine trade.

Vadodara Raids: Codeine Syrup and Tramadol Seized

In Karjan of Vadodara district, FDCA officials conducted a joint raid at Chamunda Pharma acting on specific intelligence provided by the Maharashtra Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Authorities seized 13,938 bottles of Anrex (Codeine) cough syrup, valued at an estimated ₹27.8 lakh, along with 12,240 Tramadol tablets estimated at ₹50,000. The firm was sealed, and its sale licences under Forms 20B and 21B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act were permanently cancelled with effect from 1 October 2026.

A connected inspection at Majisa Medical Stores in Karjan — associated with Chamunda Pharma — uncovered a stock of Lomotil tablets containing an NDPS component. Officials also noted the absence of a registered pharmacist and found that the refrigerator required for temperature-sensitive storage was switched off. Licences for retail sale of medicines were permanently cancelled effective 5 October 2026 after a show-cause notice was issued.

Surat: Online Drug Sales Without a Valid Licence

The enforcement action extended to online drug sales in Surat. On 1 October 2026, officials raided Dermatics India in the Varachha area and found the firm selling medicines through its website without a valid drug licence. A stock of Sildenafil, Minoxidil, and Ketoconazole valued at more than ₹11.26 lakh was seized. Samples have been sent to the government's FDL laboratory in Vadodara for analysis, and court proceedings are expected to follow once the laboratory report is received.

A separate inspection on 3 October 2026 at Kyara International in Mota Varachha, Surat, uncovered digital evidence allegedly showing that the firm had sold allopathic medicines worth around ₹3.60 lakh through online platforms, including Meesho, in the preceding month. The medicines were allegedly marketed under the label 'Sildenafil Ayurvedic'. Authorities noted that action to cancel a licence against the same individual had previously been initiated for storing medicines without authorisation, making this a repeat offence. Legal action is being taken under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

What the Government Said

Health Minister Praful Pansheriya described the marketing of allopathic medicines as 'Ayurvedic' or selling prescription drugs through e-commerce platforms without authorisation as 'a very serious offence.' He announced that a joint team of the Cyber Cell and FDCA would undertake continuous digital monitoring of e-commerce websites to identify such illegal sales. The minister also called for micro-level planning by the concerned authorities to prevent the misuse of codeine-based cough syrups and other medicines as intoxicants, particularly among young people.

'The government would continue strict checking and legal action against illegal medicine sales through both online platforms and physical stores,' Pansheriya said.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

This crackdown is part of a wider national and state-level effort to curtail the misuse of over-the-counter and prescription medicines as intoxicants. Codeine-based cough syrups and Tramadol, both frequently abused, have been at the centre of drug-misuse crackdowns across multiple Indian states. The Gujarat action is notable for its cross-jurisdictional coordination — with the Maharashtra NCB providing the tip-off that triggered the Karjan raid — and for its digital enforcement dimension targeting e-commerce platforms. With digital monitoring of online pharma sales now formally announced, further action against unlicensed online sellers appears likely in the weeks ahead.