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Indian Express
07-08-2025
- Indian Express
Fake life-saving drugs under labels of top brands: Pan-India racket busted, 6 arrested
From Johnson & Johnson to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a pan-India racket involved in producing counterfeit life-saving drugs under the labels of top pharmaceutical companies has been busted by the Crime Branch's Anti-Gang Squad, the Delhi Police said on Wednesday. Six persons, including the kingpin of the racket, have been arrested. Approximately 150 kg of loose tablets, 20 kg of loose capsules allegedly, 9,000 counterfeit tablets of Ultracet (Johnson & Johnson), 6,100 fake tablets of Augmentin 625 (GSK) and other fake drugs were allegedly recovered during the raids. Two factories involved in the racket have been busted in Haryana's Jind and Himachal Pradesh's Baddi. The racket, officers said, involved a pan-India network in Moradabad, Deoria, Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh; Panipat and Jind in Haryana and Baddi and Solan in Himachal Pradesh. The six arrested accused — identified as Rajesh Mishra (52), Parmanand (50), brothers Md Alam (35) and Md Saleem (42), Md Zuvaier (29) and Prem Shankar Prajapati (25) — allegedly operated using encrypted apps to communicate, and fictitious accounts and hawala channels were used to receive money, said police. Mishra has been identified as the mastermind. 'The kingpin used his prior experience in the pharmaceutical sector to start counterfeit production at a clandestine unit in Jind operated by Parmanand under the name Maha Laxmi,' DCP (CRIME) Harsh Indora said. Mishra would allegedly load fake tablets — produced in his factory — into duplicate boxes of reputed pharmaceutical brands, which he got from other accused. 'Foil materials and dies used for blister packing were procured from Baddi, Himachal Pradesh through one Govind Mishra. The packages were supplied via train to Gorakhpur and distributed by handlers like Prem Shankar to ground-level dealers such as Mohd Alam and Mohd Saleem,' DCP Indora said. The syndicate came under the police radar when Head Constable Jitender got a tip-off regarding a consignment of fake medicines arriving in Delhi, said officers. A detailed plan was formulated under the supervision of senior officers. Three dedicated teams headed by Inspector Pawan Kumar were constituted to carry out the operation under the supervision of ACP Bhagwati Prasad and overall supervision of DCP (Crime) Harsh Indora. Legal representatives and technical experts from GSK and Johnson & Johnson were contacted to verify the authenticity of suspected products on the spot. The operation was initiated through systematic surveillance, followed by strategic interception at a fuel station, said officers. 'Acting on the initial input, on July 30, a trap was laid at the HP CNG Petrol Pump, Shyamnath Marg, Civil Lines, Delhi. A WagonR was intercepted and two occupants, Mohd Alam and Mohd Saleem from Moradabad in UP were found transporting counterfeit medicines,' said Indora. 'Accused Mohd Alam and Mohd Zuvaier (29) were introduced to counterfeit medicine suppliers like Arun and Prem through messages. Medicines were sourced from suppliers such as Arun (Maharajganj), Komal (Karnal), Sumit (Gorakhpur), and others,' Indora added. The scale and spread of this counterfeit medicine racket posed a serious threat to public health and corporate integrity, especially for reputable pharmaceutical brands, said police. According to the police, investigations are going on to trace the source of raw materials, financial transactions, and other co-accused.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Overcharging chemists at PGI profit from patients' distress
Chandigarh:A reality check conducted by team TOI on Friday exposed exploitation of patients by some private chemist shops operating within the outpatient department (OPD) of the PGI. Following the discovery of this violation, PGI authorities have proposed penalising the chemist concerned. These shops allegedly sell drugs at significantly inflated prices, often from manufacturers with a history of substandard drug complaints. This investigation reveals a stark contrast with the govt-backed AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) store, which offers substantial discounts but sees considerably less patient traffic. TOI conducted a direct comparison of prices for a basket of common medications across three distinct retail outlets: two of them located within the PGI hospital premises (a private chemist shop in New OPD and AMRIT store) and one in the adjacent market of Sector 11. Receipts in hand, the team uncovered a 'huge price variation' with the private PGI chemists charging exorbitant rates. The focus was on frequently prescribed drugs, including an anti-allergy medication (Cetirizine), two antibiotics (Augmentin 625 and Tinidazole), and a combination drug for gastric issues (Domperidone and Rabeprazole). It was found that chemists within PGI's OPD are leveraging their prime location to charge higher prices from patients who are often in distress and lack the time or awareness to compare costs. While the adjacent AMRIT shop remained relatively empty, the private drug store in PGI's New OPD witnessed a constant stream of patients, eager to collect their medicine order using a token slip, unaware of the allegedly inflated prices. Not just this, most of the medicines sold by the private chemist shop in the New OPD were found to be sourced from manufacturers in Baddi and Patiala – regions that have faced complaints of substandard drugs by drug control authorities. This raises serious questions about the quality and efficacy of medications being dispensed to patients. As per their rental agreement with PGI, these private shops are mandated to provide a 15% discount on medicines. However, the reality check suggests that the maximum retail price (MRP) on labels is being inflated to overcome this condition, effectively nullifying the intended benefit for patients. To further deceive patients and project an image of govt affiliation, the private drug store was observed displaying a photograph of the Prime Minister, which is employed by the genuine AMRIT store. Sources alleged that private pharmacies often overcharge customers by inflating the MRP of medicines. It was found that a shop that is supposed to offer a mandatory 15% discount, set its own higher MRP, ensuring that even with the discount, the prices remained higher. Sadly, PGI officials seemed to show little interest in the issue. After waiting over a day for an official comment, TOI was told by the PGI spokesperson: "The person concerned is preoccupied, so may not be able to respond. " INSET: There are three types of medicines: Branded (sold and marketed by companies), Generic (same salt and active ingredients as in branded medicines but they do not market the drug), and Branded generic (Branded companies also manufacture generic medicines). Price difference is due to the marketing in branded drugs, which is not in others. There is a 150-200% profit margin in generic drugs. AIIMS Delhi has no private chemist within the campus. There are AMRIT and Jan Aushadi stores only inside the hospital. PGI has around 18 chemist shops within the campus. This includes 7 AMRIT stores—one of the highest in the country. In 2022, five patients allegedly died following a propofol injection purchased from PGI's chemist in the emergency. The CDSCO's report concluded that the drug was contaminated. The PGI banned the chemist, and he had to vacate the shop soon. The drug was manufactured in Kala Amb, Himachal Pradesh. GRAPHIC: Medicine Name: Cetirizine (Anti-allergy) 10 tablets Price at New OPD Shop (Rs.): 10 Price at Sector 11 Shop (Rs.): 10 Price at AMRIT Store (Rs.): 9 Medicine Name: Augmentin 625 (Antibiotic) 14 tablets Price at New OPD Shop (Rs.): 624 Price at Sector 11 Shop (Rs.): 258 Price at AMRIT Store (Rs.): 215 Medicine Name: Tinidazole (Antibiotic) 10 tablets Price at New OPD Shop (Rs.): 47 Price at Sector 11 Shop (Rs.): 141 Price at AMRIT Store (Rs.): 111 Medicine Name: Domperidone + Rabeprazole (Combination) antacid 20 tablets Price at New OPD Shop (Rs.): 552 Price at Sector 11 Shop (Rs.): 189 Price at AMRIT Store: 142 Total Bill: NEW OPD PGI: 1242 SECTOR 11: 599 AMRIT PGI: 478 MSID:: 122406126 413 |
