Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

India-made drugs dominate illegal imports in Switzerland

India-made drugs dominate illegal imports in Switzerland

A LARGE number of illegally imported drugs in Switzerland are found to have been sent from India, a Swiss government agency said on Monday (21).

They included medicines connected with Covid-19, ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as also erectile stimulants.

In its annual update, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) said it, along with customs authorities, seized 9,421 packages containing illegally imported medicinal products during 2021, which was significantly higher than 6,733 such packages in 2020.

The majority of the products seized were potency preparations and accounted for around 77 per cent of the confiscated packages.

Other preparations included prescription-only medicines, such as hormones and anti-inflammatories (17 per cent) or sleeping tablets and tranquillisers (five per cent).

Around 150 of the seized packages were connected with the Covid-19 pandemic. These contained prohibited quantities of prescription-only medicinal products, including anti-parasitics containing ivermectin, medicinal products containing hydroxychloroquine or antibiotics from India.

Swissmedic said Poland has overtaken south Asian nations to become the first European country to top the country-of-origin rankings.

However, the contents of the packages of potency preparations from Poland that were seized were all erectile stimulants manufactured in India.

Swissmedic suspects that new illegal distribution channels have been set up after the authorities successfully shut down the transit route via Singapore in October 2020 as part of an internationally coordinated operation.

India directly accounted for 12 per cent of total seized packages, down from 20 per cent in 2022 and from 43 per cent in 2019.

"Half of the illegally sold preparations do not contain what they claim to contain! Taking medicinal products that have been ordered without a prescription or with a sham online prescription is dangerous to health," Swissmedic said.

(PTI)

More For You

Essar-Oil-UK-Getty

Essar Oil UK is advancing decarbonization at its Stanlow Refinery with two key projects supported by Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) grants. (Photo: Getty Images)

Essar, 24 other firms get £51.9m to cut industrial carbon emissions

THE GOVERNMENT has allocated £51.9 million to support 25 businesses in reducing carbon emissions as part of the Plan for Change aimed at driving economic growth and rebuilding Britain.

The funding covers projects across various industries, including food manufacturing, cement production, and glass processing.
Companies receiving funding include Essar Oil UK, Nestlé's coffee processing site in Staffordshire, Heinz's baked bean factory in Wigan, and Hanson Cement in North Wales.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesla-Getty

Tesla has faced challenges in 2024, reporting its first annual decline in deliveries as incentives failed to increase demand for its ageing vehicle lineup. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tesla received nearly £200m in UK government grants since 2016: Report

ELON MUSK’s electric vehicle company Tesla has received £191 million in grants from the UK government since 2016, according to an analysis by Tussell.

The majority of the funding, £188m, was provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) through the plug-in car grant scheme, which aimed to promote the adoption of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
CES-2025

CES 2025, organised by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), will be held from 7 to 10 January.

Indian tech innovations to shine at CES 2025, says top executive

THE INDIAN technology sector continues to capture attention, with several startups and entrepreneurs showcasing their innovations at CES 2025, the world's largest tech event.

John Kelley, vice president and show director of CES, described the Indian tech story as “fascinating” and highlighted its growing global significance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anil Agarwal acquires London's historic Riverside Studios

Anil Agarwal

Anil Agarwal acquires London's historic Riverside Studios

THE founder and chairman of Vedanta group Anil Agarwal is the new owner of the iconic Riverside Studio in London, a statement said on Wednesday (8).

The 100-year-old studio, which is a renowned global centre for arts and located on the north bank of the river Thames in the centre of London, will now operate under the name ‘Anil Agarwal Riverside Studios Trust’, it informed.

Keep ReadingShow less
india-gdp-iStock

India's GDP growth was 9.7 per cent in 2021-22, 7 per cent in 2022-23, and 8.2 per cent in 2023-24. )Representational image: iStock)

India's GDP growth projected to fall to 6.4 per cent in FY25

INDIA's gross domestic product (GDP) growth is projected to decline to 6.4 per cent in the financial year 2024-25, marking its lowest rate in four years, according to government data released on Tuesday. The slowdown is attributed to weaker performance in the manufacturing and services sectors.

The growth rate of 6.4 per cent, estimated by the national statistics office (NSO), is the lowest since the contraction of 5.8 per cent recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-21. GDP growth was 9.7 per cent in 2021-22, 7 per cent in 2022-23, and 8.2 per cent in 2023-24.

Keep ReadingShow less