DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) and the state Drug Administration Department busted an alleged counterfeit medicine syndicate operating from an industrial unit in Udham Singh Nagar district, seizing around one lakh tablets, nearly 15,000 bottles of medicinal syrups and a large quantity of illicit liquor.
One person, identified as Dhirendra, a resident of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested during a raid at Covil Biotech at Plots F-13 and F-14 in the Bajpur industrial area.
STF Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh said the unit was allegedly manufacturing and packaging allopathic medicines without a valid drug manufacturing licence.
“The accused was operating under the cover of ayurvedic and food licences while allegedly producing counterfeit medicines carrying the names of established pharmaceutical companies, including Stadmed, Macleods, Intas and Sun Pharma,” Singh said.
The seized medicines included 11,200 Cefifine-200 tablets, 5,250 Nimufin tablets, 2,100 strips of Sunclav, 36,000 Veltam Plus tablets, 28,500 Gabapin tablets and 2,100 Sompraz tablets. Officials also recovered 2,400 bottles of Alkasol, 1,600 bottles of Rubired Suspension and 9,560 bottles of Ostocalcium B12 Suspension.
The team also seized stainless-steel tanks, filling, sealing and labelling machines, printed labels, foils and other packaging material from the factory.
Based on information provided by the accused, the STF searched a warehouse on National Highway 74 and recovered additional stocks of counterfeit medicines and illicit Indian-made foreign liquor.
“The scale of the seizure indicates an organised operation with links extending beyond the district. Investigators are tracing the supply chain, distribution network and others involved in the syndicate,” Singh said.
The liquor seized included 1,632 quarter bottles of McDowell's No. 1, 1,016 bottles bearing Chandigarh markings, 1,000 empty quarter bottles, 500 bottle caps, wrappers and three bundles of purported Uttarakhand excise holograms and seals.
During questioning, the accused allegedly told police that he and an associate procured illicit liquor from Haryana for distribution in Uttarakhand.
A case has been registered at Bajpur police station under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Separate proceedings are being initiated under the Uttarakhand Excise Act.
“Those endangering public health for illegal profit will face stringent action,” Singh said, adding that further arrests were likely as the investigation progressed.
