HYDERABAD, MARCH 1, 2024: In a major breakthrough, the Officials of Telangana Drugs Control Administration in association with Malakpet police have busted a ‘spurious drug manufacturing unit’ located in Kotdwar, Uttarakand and arrested five persons involved in the racket and seized stocks worth Rs 51.67 lakhs.
DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy said acting on intelligence gathered regarding the movement of spurious drugs, the DCA officials and officers from the Commissioner’s Task Force, Hyderabad, carried out a raid at Malakpet. During the raid, DCA officials found three cartons containing a total of 27,200 tablets of the spurious antibiotic “MPOD-200 Tablets” (Cefpodoxime Proxetil & Lactic Acid Bacillus Tablets), worth Rs. 7.34 lakhs. These tablets were labeled as manufactured by ‘Meg Lifesciences, Khasara No. 47/5, Palli Gaon, Distt. Sirmour, 173 001,’ which is a fictitious/non-existent company.
A person named Aravapalli Satyanarayana was caught selling the spurious drug stocks to Vangari Naveen near Moosarambagh X Roads. Upon enquiry, Aravapalli Satyanarayana revealed that he had purchased the spurious medicines from Gandla Ramulu of Meerpet. Officers apprehended Aravapalli Satyanarayana, Vangari Naveen, and Gandla Ramulu.
During interrogation, Gandla Ramulu revealed that the spurious drugs were received from Vishad Kumar of Kotdwar, Uttarakhand. He further disclosed that Vishad Kumar manufactures spurious drugs at his company, Nectar Herbs and Drugs, located at Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, along with a person named Sachin Kumar. Ramulu admitted to placing orders for spurious drugs to Sachin Kumar and Vishad Kumar through WhatsApp calls.
A Joint Action Team has been formed by the Drugs Control Administration, Commissioner’s Task Force, Hyderabad, and Malakpet Police and proceeded to Uttarakhand and launched ‘Operation JAI’. In a coordinated operation, officials kept a vigil on the manufacturing facility of Nectar Herbs and Drugs located at Plot No. B-19, IIE, SIDCUL, Sigaddi, Kotdwar, Pauri Garhwal District, Uttarakhand. A surprise raid was conducted on 29th February, during which the manufacturing of counterfeit/spurious Cefixime Tablets IP 200 mg, falsely claimed as ‘Omnicef-O 200 Tablets,’ was detected. The drug was falsely labeled as manufactured by Aristo Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., bearing Batch No. Batch No. BPF232040, Mfg. Date: June-2023, Exp. Dt. May-2025.
The manufacturing of spurious drugs was being carried out by Sachin Kumar of Roorkee, Uttarakhand. He brought fake labels (pre-printed aluminium foils and other packing materials) of reputed companies to Nectar Herbs and Drugs in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, in his vehicle along with three workers. Sachin Kumar had the counterfeit labels, including aluminum foils and cartons, manufactured at Vaishnavi Printers (Vaishnavi Printing Press) in Bhagvanpur, Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
Vishad Kumar, the CEO of Nectar Herbs and Drugs, allowed Sachin Kumar to manufacture spurious drugs at his manufacturing facility for a payment of Rs 35,000/- for 1,00,000 dummy tablets. Bhavana, a worker at Nectar Herbs and Drugs, manufactured dummy tablets with chalk powder upon intimation from Sachin Kumar.
Sachin Kumar packed the dummy tablets with the labels of the reputed company Aristo, falsely claiming them to be Antibiotic drug ‘Cefixime Tablets’. During interrogation, Sachin Kumar revealed that he manufactured counterfeit/spurious drugs of reputed companies such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Alkem, Aristo and Cipla. Counterfeits of Augmentin-625, Clavum-625, Omnicef-O 200, Montair-LC, etc., were manufactured by Sachin Kumar at Nectar Herbs and Drugs, Uttarakhand. Sachin Kumar also admitted that he received orders regarding spurious drugs from Gandla Ramulu of Hyderabad.
Sachin Kumar, Vishad Kumar, and Bhavana are involved in the manufacturing of spurious drugs at Nectar Herbs and Drugs in Uttarakhand and distributing them to several states across the country through couriers.
Sachin Kumar and Vishad Kumar, who are the prime accused in the spurious drug manufacturing case, were apprehended by the special team.
Officers seized the 38,350 tablets (3835 strips) of counterfeit Omnicef-O 200 Tablets (Cefixime Tablets IP 200 mg) labelled as Batch No. BPF232040, Mfg. Date: June-2023, Exp. Dt. May-2025 falsely labeled as Manufactured by: Aristo Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., 60.27 Kgs of orange coloured tablets, 65.27 of white coloured tablets, 30.18 Kgs of counterfeit Omnicef-O 200 Aluminium Foil, 33.45 Kgs of counterfeit Omnicef-O 200 Cartons (packing material). The officers seized stocks worth a total of Rs. 44.33 lakhs during the raid at Nectar Herbs and Drugs in Uttarakhand.
Rashmi Perumal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Commissioner’s Task Force, Hyderabad and Jaya Baloni, Superintendent of Police,, Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, extended support to the officers, ensuring the successful execution of the special operation.
About the Author
