Goat blood found in human blood bags; unanswered questions after Hyderabad raid
Hyderabad: The seizure of around 1,000 litres of illegally collected goat and sheep blood stored in human blood bags during a raid in Kachiguda has raised serious public health concerns, with authorities yet to establish its final intended use.
Officials of the Drug Control Administration (DCA), along with Hyderabad Police and Central drug control teams, conducted searches at the premises of CNK Import–Export Company following specific intelligence. During the raid, officers discovered animal blood stored in blood bags meant exclusively for human use, triggering alarm over possible misuse in medical or experimental applications.
Preliminary findings suggested that the seized blood was being transported to a private company in Haryana. However, investigators said the final purpose remained unclear. Officials were probing whether the blood was meant for unauthorised clinical trials, laboratory culture media preparation, or illegal extraction of serum for commercial products.
Senior drug control officials described the case as unprecedented. They said no licence is ever issued to collect or store animal blood in human blood bags and termed the method a clear violation of drug and safety regulations.
Investigation into goat blood seizure deepens
During the raid, officials seized an autoclave machine, a laminar air flow unit, about 60 empty blood bags and 110 filled blood bags. Investigators said the presence of a laminar air flow unit strongly indicated that blood processing was being carried out under sterile conditions at the site.
Drug inspectors said such equipment is commonly used to transfer blood between bags without contamination and to process blood for specific uses, including extraction of serum. Officials said serum derived from animal blood can be used in laboratory culture media, cosmetic treatments, hair products, and even vaccine manufacturing, raising further concerns over regulatory violations.
Authorities warned that any accidental entry of animal blood into the human medical supply chain could have fatal consequences. Officials said even mismatched human blood groups could be lethal, and transfusion of animal blood into humans would certainly result in death.
The owner of CNK Import–Export Company, identified as Nikesh, has been absconding for the past two days. Officials said he is the prime accused and allegedly paid butchers ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 per blood bag while supplying the bags himself. Police said he initially promised to appear for questioning but later switched off his phone and fled after removing key processing documents from the premises.
The investigation began with the seizure of about 150 blood bags from a butcher shop in the Keesara area. Butchers told officials they merely supplied blood to Nikesh and were unaware of its end use. Authorities suspect that animal blood was being collected from isolated locations around Keesara using unsafe and unregulated methods.
A case has been registered at Keesara Police Station under Section 18(c) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Officials said possession of blood bags and regulated medical equipment without a valid drug licence constituted a serious offence. The premises have been sealed, blood samples sent for laboratory analysis, and records related to transport, finances, and possible wider networks are under examination. Further legal action will follow based on the outcome of the investigation.
