Nagpur (Rural) Police bust inter-state gang supplying spurious medicines

 

NAGPUR (Rural) Police have dismantled an inter-state gang involved in the distribution of counterfeit medicines across Maharashtra and neighbouring States, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Haryana. The operation led to the arrest of three main conspirators, Vijay Shailendra Chaudhary from Mira Road, Thane, and Raman and Robin Taneja from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Operating through Chaudhary’s Cabhis Generic House in Thane, the gang generated over Rs 15 crore by using forged documentation associated with various shell and defunct companies. They supplied fake versions of commonly prescribed medications, including Ciprofloxacin, Livofloxacin, Amoxyllin, Cefixime, and Azithromycin, under the names of defunct firms such as Lab Evertouch Bio Remedies and M/s Ginx Pharmakon LLP.

 

The inter-state racket came to light following a joint investigation by Assistant Superintendent of Police Anil Mhaske and his team, which included PSI Kolte and Constables Nitesh Pusam and Manish Sonawane. The probe supervised by Superintendent of Police (Nagpur Rural) Harssh Poddar is being coordinated with police authorities in Thane, Wardha, Nanded, and other districts to apprehend some more suspects. The issue first emerged in March 2023 when the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration tested ciprofloxacin tablets from a healthcare facility in Kalmeshwar. The results, released in December 2023, revealed the tablets contained no medicinal properties. This prompted legal action under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including fraud, forgery and criminal conspiracy. Nagpur (Rural) Police believe that further investigations may uncover additional layers of this illicit business with more arrests anticipated in coming days.