The Anti-Gang Squad of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has busted a major interstate racket involved in manufacturing and distributing counterfeit lifesaving medicines. Six individuals, including the alleged kingpin Rajesh Mishra, were arrested in a coordinated operation spanning Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
The racket operated through illegal factories located in Jind (Haryana) and Baddi (Himachal Pradesh). The fake medicines, including Ultracet and Augmentin tablets, were sold under the names of reputed pharmaceutical companies such as Johnson & Johnson, GSK, and Alkem.
Police intercepted a large consignment at a petrol pump in Civil Lines, Delhi, on July 30 after receiving a tip-off. Mohammad Alam and Mohammad Salim, residents of Moradabad, were arrested while transporting fake medicines in a UP-registered WagonR. Representatives from the affected companies confirmed the packaging and stamps were counterfeit, later validated by lab tests.
Investigations revealed that the accused used social media to connect and sourced packaging materials from different locations, with manufacturing units in Jind and Baddi. The counterfeit drugs were distributed by road and rail across several states.
Money laundering was conducted through fake bank accounts and hawala transactions. Mohammad Alam handled supplies in the NCR, assisted by his brother Salim. Mohammad Zubair from Moradabad acted as a key supplier. Prem Shankar Prajapati managed drug movement from factories to distributors, while Rajesh Mishra coordinated the entire network. Parmanand from Jind ran the factory ‘Laxmi Maa Pharma,’ where fake Ultracet tablets were produced.
