The Telangana Drugs Control Administration made 244 seizures in 2025 for violating various laws enforced by the department and detected 84 substandard drugs circulating in the market. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA) made 244 seizures in 2025 for violating various laws enforced by the department and detected 84 substandard drugs circulating in the market with a total value of seized drugs at ₹1.39 crore. The figures were revealed in the law enforcement agency’s annual report for 2025, published on Wednesday.
During 2025, DCA conducted 28,816 inspections across the state, detecting violations in 5,278 cases. This marked a slight increase in inspections compared to 2024, when 25,253 inspections were carried out and violations were found in 4,102 cases.
In 2024, DCA made 573 seizures, more than ten times the 56 seizures reported in 2023. The total value of drugs seized in 2024 was ₹7.46 crore, including fake drugs worth ₹2.36 crore.
In 2025, the highest number of detections were false advertising, 140 cases were registered in this category. This was followed by 38 cases of quacks and unauthorized doctors engaged in unlicensed storage and sale of drugs and 36 cases of unlicensed medical shops, sales and illegal storage and sale of drugs.
The agency also booked nine cases of illegally manufactured and sold drugs as food products or nutraceuticals, six cases related to counterfeit drugs, four cases of unlicensed drug production and two cases of price violations. The other nine cases involved expired medication, doctor’s withdrawals and other related offences.
As part of its surveillance and quality control measures, DCA analyzed 4,801 drug samples in 2025, of which 84 were found to be of substandard quality (NSQ). According to the report, action has been initiated against the manufacturers under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. By comparison, the agency analyzed 3,902 samples in 2024 and detected 130 NSQ drugs.
The report also highlighted a major enforcement milestone, with DCA launching tough legal action against those involved in fraudulent drug offences. Four dealers were arrested during the year in connection with bogus drug cases. These arrests, which were made for the first time in the history of DCA Telangana, were described as a strong signal of zero tolerance towards the manufacture, distribution and sale of spurious medicines.
Major operations conducted in 2025 included a joint strike against a psychotropic drug racket in Hyderabad. In this operation, officials seized 1.2 lakh Alprazolam tablets worth ₹ 4.32 lakh from unlicensed residential premises in Moosarambagh.
Published – 31 Dec 2025 20:19 IST
