NEW DELHI, Feb 2: The Delhi Government authorities seized two lakh Oxytocin
ampoules/vials of injection from the New Delhi Railway Station on Tuesday. Officially
its value has been estimated at Rs 21 lakh, although illegal merchandise cannot
be priced.
The illicit Oxytocin is a synthetic hormone injected into milch cattle to enhance
milk output throughout the country. It is quite harmful for the livestock and
has deleterious effects on those consuming the milk, like hormonal imbalance
and neurological disorders. The veterinary injection is given whenever the cattle
is to be milked. It is also illegally used in vegetable cultivation to raise
the yield and reportedly by drug addicts too. However, Oxytocin API is also used in pharmaceuticals.
On receiving information that the consignment was coming from Bihar, drug control
department authorities raided the parcel godown of the railway station at Ajmeri
Gate. The consignees were named Yogender Kumar and Mohan Kumar, who did not
turn up.
“Upon search of the said premises in the presence of the parcel supervisor,
a huge stock of oxytocin injections, approximately 2 lakh ampoules or vials,
were found stocked,” an official told reporters. “Apparently, the drugs were
suspected to be of doubtful quality. Samples of these drugs have been collected
for test and analysis and their report is awaited,” he said.
Investigation has started to find out the supply network of the chemical, which
is in high demand in every nook and corner of the country and is administered
indiscriminately although it is banned.
“A huge stock of Oxytocin injections approximately costing Rs 21 lakh has been
seized from New Delhi Railway Station. The Intelligence cell of the Drugs Control
Department is doing a great job,” Delhi's Home Minister tweeted.
The Centre had banned the manufacture and sale of Oxytocin by the private sector
on February 8, 2018 but it was challenged in the court. During the year, the
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) seized 11.2 lakh ampoules
of Oxytocin meant for use on animals and the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
(API) . From 2015 to 2018, private and public pharmacuetical companies manufactured
and dispatched around 16.5 crore ampoules of Oxytocin in India.
In July 2018, a consignment of 70,000 injections of Oxytocin was seized from
a house in Partap Nagar in Bathinda by a team of officials from the Punjab police
and the health department. One person from Karnataka was arrested in Hyderabad
in July 2019 and 1,920 bottles of Oxytocin were seized from him. In September,
2019, the Faridkot district police seized 9,300 injections.
What is Oxytocin : In the human body, Oxytocin is a neurohormone, synthetized
primarily by the hypothalamus, but also in other brain areas, such as the pineal
gland, that mediates numerous physiological effects, including milk ejection,
parturition and maternal-foetal interactions, according to the NIH. Medically,
it is administered in rare health issues relating to maternity, postpartum haemorrhage
as also foetal seizures although it has some anaphylactic reactions. Brand Pitocin
is also used for abortion.
