Ghaziabad police have busted an interstate racket in high-value cancer drugs, arresting three people and seizing a massive consignment of life-saving medicines worth several lakhs. Authorities also recovered Rs 8.85 lakh and an SUV with UP licence plates during the operation on Saturday.
The accused have been identified as:
Vishwas Tyagi (35) – Nandgram
Akash Sharma (34) – Agra
Prince Tyagi (28) – Moradnagar
Police said the trio was involved in large-scale black marketing and smuggling of oncology medicines, failing to provide purchase invoices, licenses, or prescriptions. Vishwas admitted that the gang smuggled the drugs and sold them near MRP for huge profits.
Investigations revealed that the accused allegedly sourced fake bills and supplies from medical wholesalers in Ghaziabad and Delhi, and distributed the medicines to pharmacies in Mumbai and Delhi through shell firms like Thrive Pharma, Yatnesh Pharma, and Brisa Pharma.
One vial of Keytruda, valued at approximately Rs 2.16 lakh and meant for CGHS supply, was repackaged and sold after removing the “Not for Sale” label. Police said many seized drugs, including Enhertu, GEFTIB, Bilypsa, Cacit, Zolasta, and Novotex, were stored improperly, compromising quality and posing serious health risks. Some medicines had even expired; for example, Novotex had an expiry date of May 2025.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Piyush Kumar Singh emphasized that anti-cancer drugs require strict cold-chain maintenance between 2°C and 8°C, but the gang stored them in regular cartons and bags.
Police have registered a case under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and related provisions. Drug inspector Ashutosh Mishra added that Vishwas had been previously booked in 2023 for running a racket in injections from his medical store “Madison Hub” in Rajnagar Extension.
