Initially, cases under provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act were registered by the Foods and Drugs Controller Administration (FDCA) against the traders, but the health department was also thinking of taking action under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Health Minister Ashok Bhatt told Express Newsline.

The injections were seized during successive raids on some agencies in Ahmedabad, Patan and Mehsana. FDCA officials said that in Patan 21,200 ampoules were seized from Navkar Chemist and 31,400 ampoules from Banas Pharma Distributor.

In Ahmedabad, 2.50 lakh ampoules were recovered from the office of Padmavati Pharma Supply on Relief Road and 11.46 lakh ampoules from its godown at Sarkhej. Similarly, 1.50 lakh ampoules were recovered from the godown of J P Enterprise in Shahibaug. In Mehsana, 2.83 lakh ampoules were seized from Reliance Chemist and 3,000 ampoules from Baba Drug House.

Officials said that they were aware of the misuse since long but were waiting for specific information to act. On Friday, they received information about a major consignment at Patan and Ahmedabad and raids were carried out. And on Saturday, about 2,000 ampoules were recovered from Ambika Medical Agency, near Relief Road in the central part of the city.

Bhatt said that animal rights activist and Union Minister of State for Welfare (Independent charge) Maneka Gandhi has lauded the efforts of the Gujarat government in this respect. He said that on April 28, the health department will hold a conference of milk producers, officials of Food and Drugs Controller Administration and veterinary department to discuss the issue of misuse of the injection and future plan of action to check supply of the injections in the State and awareness programme for breeders about the harmful effects of oxytocin.

FDCA officials, however, said the injection labelled as `for veterinary purpose' were used to increase uterine contractions in cattle during pregnancy. But they were being misused by breeders for raising milk production. Experts said the injection could bring out the residue milk in cattle, but at the same time it causes severe harm to the animal's health. It was also found that the companies were selling these injections without mandatory bill and storage was also done at room temperature which according to the rule, should be below 20 degrees Celsius.

Bhatt further said that a health department team had left for Gurgaon, Haryana, on Sunday to arrest those involved in manufacturing of these injections illegally.