A by National Drug Authority-NDA and Uganda Police Force crackdown has left seven people in custody following a joint operation on counterfeit veterinary drug dealers.
The suspects who are identified as; Gideon Ntwirenabo, the Commercial Officer, Kyamuhunga town council, Richard Ahabwe, Bernadette Bonabana, Kussein Rwabwoma, Joseph Byaruhanga and Gideon Ntwirenabo, were found in possession of counterfeit veterinary drugs worth Shillings 150 Million.
The operation was carried out in the districts of Kyenjojo, Bushenyi, Mbarara, Kiruhura, Kazo, Ntungamo and Rukungiri.
The Suspects were found in possession of 1000liters of counterfeit tick burn, 1600 Tick Burn stickers, DD Force, empty boxes of Boom Super 1000 EC Fumigant and measuring caps removed from DD force among other items.
According to Dr. Jeanne Muhindo the head of Veterinary Department National Drug Authority Mbarara, the operation followed a complaint from a farmer in Kyenjojo whose milking cow mysteriously died following the use of fake tick burn spray.
The culprits in this case have allegedly been duplicating pesticides for spraying bedbugs, cockroaches and other insects and re-package them as acaricides for spraying animals, which they rebrand as Tick Burn.
She adds that fake drugs are prevalent in some other districts in the country.
Mbarara District Veterinary Officer Dr. William Mwebembezi also notes there is a huge challenge of fake veterinary drugs across the country, which has resulted in resistant ticks and pests.
