Ahmedabad: In a statewide effort to curb the misuse and illegal sale of narcotic drugs, Gujarat Police on Tuesday launched a mega checking campaign across medical stores, beginning at 12 noon.

The primary objective of the campaign is to prevent the sale of drugs listed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act without prescriptions, curb the stocking of banned substances, excessive storage in violation of rules, and the illegal sale of medicines not permitted for over-the-counter sale.

As of 4 PM Tuesday, 282 medical stores in the Valsad district had been inspected, resulting in 45 cases, including one under the NDPS Act. In Surat city, 333 stores were checked, with seizures including 93 bottles of codeine syrup from one store and 15 bottles of codeine syrup and five bottles of alprazolam from another, leading to legal action.

The campaign also covered 61 stores in Patan, 184 in Navsari, 66 in Jamnagar, 258 in Bharuch, and 23 in Ahwa Dang. Additionally, 129 stores were inspected in Dahod, 112 in Panchmahal, and 317 in Gandhinagar, with checks continuing at many locations.

The inspection is being conducted in coordination with local police stations, the Local Crime Branch (LCB), the Special Operations Group (SOG), and officials from the District Food and Drug Department. The operation is being supervised by DySPs and DCPs, with teams formed at every police station to raid and inspect medical stores. Special attention is being given to stores located near schools, colleges, and other educational institutions, where the risk of drug misuse is higher.

Strict action is being taken against any store found selling drugs with intoxicating potential without a valid prescription. These include substances such as Amidopyrine, Phenacetin, Nialamide, Chloramphenicol, Phenylephrine, Furazolidone, Oxyphenbutazone, and Metronidazole, all of which can only be sold with a doctor’s prescription. Their illegal sale poses serious health and societal risks.

The statewide operation, launched simultaneously across all cities and districts, is ongoing, an official note from the Home Department stated. DeshGujarat