Maker of spurious antibiotics busted in Uttarakhand, big pharma companies exploited

Ajoint operation coordinated by the Drug Control Administration (DCA) of Telangana, Commissioner Task Force Hyderabad, and Malakpet Police named Operation JAI, has dismantled an inter-state network involved in the manufacturing and distribution of spurious drugs.

The operation uncovered nefarious activities centred around a pharmaceutical factory named Nectar Herbs & Drugs located in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand.

The modus operandi of the illicit operation involved the manufacture of dummy tablets using chalk powder to mimic genuine pharmaceutical products.

Brands such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Alkem Laboratories, Aristo Pharmaceuticals, and Cipla were among those exploited by Nectar Herbs & Drugs, according to the DCA. Notably, counterfeit versions of popular medications like Augmentin 625, Calvum-625, Omnicef-O 200, and Montclair LC were being produced at the illicit facility.

During the operation, officials made startling discoveries. A raid conducted in Malakpet on February 27 resulted in the seizure of three cartons containing 27,200 tablets of spurious antibiotics labelled as ‘MPOD-200 Tablets’, valued at approximately ₹7.34 lakh. These tablets were labelled as manufactured by Meg Lifesciences from Sirmour, which is a fictitious and non-existent company, according to the officials.

Further investigations revealed that Nectar Herbs & Drugs, besides manufacturing counterfeit drugs, was distributing them across several states, including Telangana.