After Mumbai, Fake Hand Sanitizer Manufacturing Unit Busted Near Gurugram. 5000 Bottles Seized

The coronavirus pandemic seems to have brought out some unimaginable scenarios: While some are disguising as fake doctors in order to mug people others are manufacturing fake sanitizers for a few bucks!

In Harayana, the Food and Drug Administration busted a fake hand sanitizer manufacturing company and seized at least 5,000 hand sanitizers.

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The bottles of these so-called sanitizers were being sold under the name of Viro-rub. Around 1,000 liters of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) was also seized from the manufacturing unit.

Amandeep Chauhan, Drugs Control Officer told The Tribune, ¡°They had already sold 2,500 bottles of the sanitiser in the market before the FDA authorities could get a tip-off and raid the unit.¡±

The incident comes at a time when people are panic buying sanitizers in the market due to growing coronavirus fears. Big e-commerce companies are also struggling to cope with the growing and unprecedented demand.

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ANI quoted drug controller officer, Ripan Mehta as saying, "We have busted a hand sanitizer manufacturing company and seized at least 5,000 hand sanitizers."

He said that the company was manufacturing industrial oils and had just started manufacturing hand sanitizers.

"The company is into industrial oils and they started manufacturing hand sanitizers just 10 days back. They had filled isopropyl alcohol in the bucket and were filling the hand sanitizer bottles with it," he said.

A similar fake hand sanitizer racket was busted by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Department in Mumbai¡¯s Vakola.

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The ¡®sanitizers¡¯ didn¡¯t have proper anti-bacterial particles which made the solution disinfectant. According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, the sanitizers were being sold for Rs 105 to Rs 180 a piece.

¡°Due to coronavirus scare, people are scared and purchasing sanitizers in panic. Some anti-social elements are engaged in making fake products,¡± the Joint Commissioner of FDA Maharashtra Dr. Gahane was quoted as saying.

When it comes to hand sanitizers, here are some key pointers:

1. Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recommends hand sanitizers that contain between 60 and 80 per cent alcohol

2. If markets have run out of hand sanitizers, here's a WHO-recommended way of making one at home.

3. If you don't have access to hand sanitizers, WHO recommends washing your hands with soap and water.