2-year jail and SR20000 fine for expat convicted of manufacturing adulterated veterinary products

Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — A specialized court in Dammam awarded two years in prison and a fine of SR20000 to an expatriate who was convicted of manufacturing and possessing adulterated and unregistered veterinary preparations. He was also found guilty of manufacturing and printing packets for containers of veterinary preparations with the intention of fraud.

The expatriate was caught by criminal investigation officers from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) during their inspection tour in the city of Dammam, while transporting veterinary preparations in an unrefrigerated car with a high temperature without having thermal maps and temperature gauges, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It was found in the examinations of SFDA that the expatriate sales representative possessed unregistered veterinary pharmaceutical preparations, and used raw materials to manufacture veterinary preparations, such as a spray for treating parasites and eye diseases of animals. The results of the analysis showed that they did not comply with the technical regulations, in addition to purchasing empty containers in commercial quantities for the purpose of filling these preparations without obtaining regulatory licenses.

The authority stressed that the possession, manufacture, formulation and marketing of any veterinary preparation without obtaining the necessary regulatory licenses is considered a violation of the provisions of the Veterinary Products Law in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and its executive regulations, based on Article 27 of the law.

This article stipulates that anyone who deceives in a veterinary preparation or attempting to do so, or selling, possessing, manufacturing, or preparing a veterinary mixture that is adulterated, damaged, expired, or in violation of the regulations of the preparation, or making, printing, possessing, selling, or displaying containers or wrappers for a specific veterinary preparation with the intention of fraud is considered as an act of violation.

After carrying out the necessary investigation, the Public Prosecution in the Eastern Province referred the case to the competent court, which issued the verdict. The SFDA called on the public to report violations of establishments under its supervision by calling the unified number 19999 or through the Tameni application