Telangana’s Drug Control Administration Cracks Down on Counterfeit Drug Racket: Over ₹3 Crore Seized
In a significant enforcement action, the Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA) has exposed a vast counterfeit drug network, leading to the confiscation of spurious medications valued at ₹3.06 crore. This operation, conducted between December 1, 2023, and November 30, 2024, entailed ten strategically coordinated raids. The counterfeit drugs pose serious public health risks, as they often contain incorrect or harmful ingredients. The smuggling operations meticulously disguised these harmful pharmaceuticals as ordinary items like machine parts, utilizing courier services to evade regulatory oversight and transport drugs across state borders. Additionally, fictitious companies such as Astra Generics Pvt. Ltd. and Meg Lifesciences were fabricated to further mislead consumers and authorities.
Integral to the deceptions were counterfeit packaging efforts, where specialized printing units were employed to create high-quality fake labels, foils, and cartons. These forgeries were designed to closely mimic reputable pharmaceutical brands, making it difficult for both consumers and enforcement agencies to differentiate between genuine products and counterfeits. Complicating matters further, many manufacturing facilities were clandestinely established in remote or unlicensed locations, allowing operators to remain mobile and avoid detection by authorities throughout Telangana and neighboring regions.
In one of the significant raids executed on November 26, 2024, DCA officials seized antibiotics worth ₹1.33 crore from a manufacturing plant operated by Jodas Expoim Pvt. Ltd. in Biotech Park, Siddipet district. The operation unveiled the illegal practice of mislabeling and exporting antibiotics produced by other pharmaceutical companies under Jodas Expoim’s name. A batch of Ampicillin + Sulbactam injections labeled as Jodas Expoim’s was found to have been manufactured by Indian Genomix Pvt. Ltd. instead. The illegal facility was also implicated in unauthorized packing of various other antibiotics, all under false pretenses of legitimacy, creating further complications for public health.
The fight against counterfeit drugs intensified when the DCA disrupted additional operations in Hyderabad, where spurious drugs were marketed under the guise of recognized brands. A raid on Goel Pharma revealed counterfeit Vertin 16 Tablets, which were falsely advertised as Abbott India Ltd. products. Another raid at Yashwanth Pharma led to the confiscation of additional counterfeit Vertin tablets, putting local consumers at risk of ineffective and potentially hazardous medication. The DCA played a crucial role in these operations, highlighting the widespread nature of counterfeit medicines circulating in the market and the pressing need for stringent regulatory measures.
On December 4, 2023, a raid in Machabollaram uncovered spurious anti-cancer drugs falsely attributed to a fake company, Astra Generics Pvt. Ltd. The operation led to the seizure of 36 types of counterfeit drugs valued at an estimated ₹4.35 crore. Subsequent investigations revealed other schemes where antibiotics were fraudulently labeled under nonexistent manufacturing entities like Meg Lifesciences, indicating a systematic approach to distributing counterfeit medications across various therapeutic categories. These incidents underscored the complexity of counterfeit drug networks and the challenges faced by regulatory authorities in tackling them.
Courier networks have emerged as a critical mechanism for the distribution of counterfeit drugs, with investigations tracing spurious shipments to several locations across India. On December 29, 2023, DCA successfully dismantled a racket shipping counterfeit medications from Kashipur, Uttarakhand, using courier services to illicitly transport drugs labeled as reputable pharmaceutical products. Further investigations unearthed multiple operations based in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where spurious medications were routed to Hyderabad, signifying a decentralized operation enabling these networks to thrive and complicate enforcement actions.
The campaign against counterfeit medicines reached new heights when a joint operation dubbed "Operation JAI" successfully dismantled a counterfeit drug manufacturing unit in Uttarakhand. This inter-state collaboration led to the seizure of counterfeited meds worth ₹44.33 lakhs, displaying the multi-faceted and coordinated nature of the operation against illegal drug suppliers. The DCA, alongside local enforcement agencies, continues to intensify efforts in tackling counterfeit drug manufacturing as well as distribution, emphasizing the severity of public health risks posed by such operations and reaffirming the commitment to ensuring that medications remain safe and effective for consumers.