Did Delhi Police Uncover a Major Spurious Drug Operation?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Major crackdown on spurious drug operations by Delhi Police.
- Over Rs 2.3 crore worth of counterfeit drugs seized.
- Two suspects arrested, highlighting public health risks.
- Ongoing efforts to dismantle the entire supply chain.
- Importance of public safety in pharmaceutical distribution.
New Delhi, Dec 14 (NationPress) The Cyber Cell from the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has dismantled a significant and meticulously organized operation involved in the production, repackaging, and distribution of counterfeit Schedule-H medications across the nation. The authorities reported recovering fake drugs and associated materials valued at over Rs 2.3 crore on Sunday.
Two individuals have been apprehended in connection with this case.
The arrested suspects are identified as Gaurav Bhagat, hailing from Meerpur Hindu village in Loni, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Shree Ram, also known as Vishal Gupta, from Nirmal Vihar, Sabhapur, Delhi.
The operation was executed under the command of Inspector Manjeet Kumar and overseen by ACP Anil Sharma.
Following specific intelligence and sustained ground-level insights, bolstered by technical surveillance, the Cyber Cell conducted a raid at Teliwara in Sadar Bazar, a prominent wholesale market for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics in Delhi.
“During the operation, the Cyber Cell team uncovered a vast quantity of counterfeit Schedule-H ointments at Sadar Bazar. The seized fake medicines included Betnovate-C and Clop-G. These products, commonly used for treating sports injuries and skin allergies, pose significant risks to unaware consumers due to their spurious nature,” stated the Delhi Police in an official release.
Based on further intelligence, police traced the origin of these counterfeit medications to a manufacturing facility in Meerpur Hindu village, Loni.
A raid at this facility resulted in the recovery of substantial amounts of finished counterfeit medicines, raw chemicals, packaging materials, and manufacturing equipment. This operation was conducted in the presence of Drug Inspectors and authorized representatives from relevant pharmaceutical companies.
Drug Inspectors from both North and Central Zones of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh carried out on-site inspections and collected samples, which were later confirmed to be counterfeit.
“They verified that the seized medications were indeed counterfeit and were neither produced nor distributed by their respective companies, and that the arrested individuals lacked any valid licenses to manufacture, store, or sell such medications,” the police noted.
An FIR dated December 12 has been filed at the Crime Branch police station under pertinent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Further operations are ongoing to identify and dismantle the entire supply chain, stated DCP Aditya Gautam.