7 arrested in crackdown on fake animal drugs

The National Drug Authority (NDA) and police have arrested seven people in western region on allegations of selling fake cattle drugs.

The head of veterinary at NDA, Dr Jeanne Muhindo, on Wednesday said the suspects, who were arrested from Mbarara and Bushenyi districts, were found to have mixed different dangerous chemicals to create the drug named tick burn spray.

He said the operation, which started on February 7, followed an incident in Kyenjojo District where a farmer applied the tick burn spray on his cow and it died.

“The team confirmed that the product used on the farm (in Kyenjojo) was indeed tick burn, which is not registered with NDA and, therefore, the need to investigate and the trace of the origin of the product,” Dr Muhindo said.

Dr Muhindo said the suspects mix DD Force, Boom Super, and Ocelamectin, which are pesticides, and put a label of tick burn spray before they sell to cattle farmers.

“The falsified public health products are not supposed to be applied on soft skin. They are meant for hard surfaces such as wood and fumigation of ants, bed bags and cockroaches,” he said.