Drug regulator issues notices to Amazon, other e-commerce sites for alleged sale of spurious cosmetics

Country’s drug regulator DCGI has issued notices to Amazon and some other e-commerce websites for allegedly selling spurious, adulterated and unapproved cosmetics including imported brands, and has warned them of penal actions The notice from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) follows raids by drug inspectors at various locations across the country on October 5-6, during which they found that some indigenously manufactured cosmetics without valid manufacturing licence and having ingredients imported without necessary registration certificates were being sold on the e-commerce platforms. The law provides for penal actions ranging from monetary fine to imprisonment for such lapses. Amazon.in has a very high bar of customer experience and does take strict action against sellers who are selling illegal or fake products us in accordance with the due process of law, as and when such incidents are reported to us, the spokesperson said. According to a copy of the notice seen by PTI, the cosmetics being sold by these websites included imported brands without valid documents and containing ingredients in the negative list of the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). Asking the companies to reply to its notice within 10 days