The Uttarakhand Police have sounded an alert in 44 cities across the National Capital Region (NCR), Bihar, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh, after a fake drug manufacturing unit was busted in Haridwar district.
Based on a tip-off about a medicine wholesaler operating in Dehradun, the police on Monday busted the factory and arrested two accused. The accused have revealed that in the past four years, fake painkillers worth Rs 7 crore were sold. They said since 2019 they used to pass off the adulterated painkillers in major cities under a known brand. The police have seized another consignment worth Rs 5 crore, which was supposed to be sent to 44 cities.
“After the big haul, the police teams have been sent to the states concerned. The teams will coordinate with the local authorities and alert them about the fake drugs,” said Ajay Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dehradun.
HOW THE FAKE FACTORY WAS BUSTED
- The SSP said Delhi-based Jagsonpal Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which manufactures painkillers Indocap and Indicap SR filed a complaint that a Dehradun-based seller was allegedly supplying fake painkillers under their brand name.
- “After investigation, the accused running SS Medicos were arrested. Both worked in a pharma company in Haridwar district a few years ago and learnt the chemical composition required to make a drug. They used to run the illegal unit in Haridwar,” the SSP said.
- The salt was sourced from a chemical factory in Mumbai. It was then mixed with chalk-like powder in an illegal factory. Further, the medicine was packaged in the wrappers printed in Delhi and then distributed in various cities. The accused made profits running into crores and even purchased property in state capital Dehradun.
THREE YEARS, FIVE ‘FACTORIES’ BUSTED
The Special Task Force (STF) and Police have busted a total of five fake drug manufacturing units in Haridwar district. As per one assessment, the patients in various cities have had Haridwar-made fake pills – mostly painkillers and fever reducing medicines — worth Rs 25-35 crore.
State Infrastructure and Industrial Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd (SIDCUL) has a pharma city in Haridwar district, with pharma companies operating there.
According to industrialists, there is a mechanism to check the ‘black sheep’.
Harinder Garg, Chairman of the SIDCUL Manufacturing Association, said, “The police keep a vigil. Besides, the fake manufacturing units are busted as the industry has norms and they fail to comply with them.”
State’s drug controller Tajbeer Singh Negi said they conduct surprise checks on pharma companies regularly. However, the authority to crack the whip on such drug manufacturers is with the police.
Inputs from Satendra Barthwal and Bharti Saklani