Substandard human immunoglobulin scam NMRA, CID seize computers, medicine samples from infamous plant in Seeduwa

• The search operation lasted for about five hours before the  plant was sealed off again by the NMRA officials

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and  Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who visited the controversial  plant involved in the human immunoglobulin scam yesterday for the second  day, searched the entire premises prior to taking several computers and  samples of medicines into custody for further inquiries, the police  said.   

 The NMRA and CID officials following a court order visited  the plant belonging to Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt) Ltd. in Amandoluwa  in Seeduwa for the second day, as the owner cum first suspect of the  scam Sudath Janaka Fernando did not cooperate with the officials during  the first factory visit on January 8.   

Officials including engineers from the Lanka Electricity  Company in Seeduwa, Scenes of Crime Officials (SOCO) in Seeduwa, Negombo  Police, Seeduwa Police backed the NMRA and CID officials to inspect the  plant around 12 noon yesterday soon after the chief suspect, who was in  the remand custody was escorted to the premises by the Prisons  Department officials.   

The LECO Engineers connected the factory premises with the  main electricity supply, as the first visit was unsuccessful when the  chief suspect did not cooperate by showing the principal switchboard in  the plant.   
The officials collected samples of unidentified liquid  medicine, which were stored in bottles and vials found inside  refrigerators that were suspected to be the same previously supplied as  human immunoglobulin with fake labelling etc.   

The CID officials also took seven computers, which were in  the plant office of the main suspect Sudath Janaka Fernando into custody  and the hard disk drives of some of them were already missing at that  point.   
The search operation lasted for about five hours before the  plant was sealed off again by the NMRA officials and the suspect was  escorted back to the Welikada Remand Prison.   

The case is next summoned before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.