Lucknow: A state Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) operation has exposed a supply chain of counterfeit medicines running from Saharanpur into Lucknow, officials said on Wednesday, as probes led to seizures, arrests and an FIR registered at Aminabad police station.
Operation traced via interrogation; main link identified
Investigators said the action in Saharanpur followed information obtained after the interrogation of a suspect named Ejaz, who was earlier arrested in Lucknow by a Special Operations Group and local police in connection with the sale of fake drugs. The interrogation reportedly identified him as a principal link arranging supply of medicines and packaging material across locations in the network.
On the strength of leads from his questioning, FSDA teams conducted a search in the Nagal area of Saharanpur, where they located what was described as an entire drug-packing setup in a house. Officials recovered multiple packaging items and machinery from the premises, and seized finished material and strips suspected to be part of counterfeit production destined for distribution.
Two batches of Levera-500 were found "not genuine in nature" in a check of purchase and sale records and subsequent state laboratory tests, officials said.
Seizures and evidentiary material
FSDA sources said the Saharanpur operation uncovered packing machines, printed aluminium foil and die-punches used to manufacture or repackage medicines. A separate check in Lucknow of purchase-sale records, invoices and ledgers corroborated the finding that some consignments were not authentic.
- Seized machinery and packing material: stripping machines, batch stereos, dye punches and printed aluminium foil
- Finished or partly finished material: pharmaceutical strips and printed cartons recovered from the premises
- Laboratory result: two batches of Levera-500 declared not genuine
- Legal action: FIR lodged at Aminabad police station; further investigation ongoing
| Item recovered | Reported quantity / detail |
|---|---|
| Drug strips | 32.555 kg |
| Printed cartons | 973 printed cartons of Difcor (reported) |
| Packing machinery | Stripping machines, batch stereos, dye punches |
| Printed aluminium foil | Recovered for products including Diffcort-6 and others |
Legal and public-health implications for Lucknow
Officials said an FIR naming Ejaz and others has been lodged at Aminabad police station in Lucknow and that further action would follow the ongoing probe. The discovery that two batches of an identified brand failed laboratory authenticity checks prompted the registration of the case, officials added.
Public-health experts and regulators stress that counterfeit or substandard medicines can lead to treatment failure, adverse reactions and growing antimicrobial resistance. The FSDA action aims both to disrupt the supply chain and to gather documentary and physical evidence to prosecute those involved, the authorities said.
Police and food-safety officials in Lucknow have been conducting checks on records, invoices and ledgers to trace distribution and identify recipients as part of the investigation. The special operation that led to the Saharanpur action grew directly from material gathered during those enquiries.
Authorities said the probe is continuing and more details will be provided as investigations progress. Local consumers and pharmacies are being advised to verify sources and report any suspicious or unbranded consignments to the nearest FSDA office or police station.
Note: The investigation is active and all figures and items cited above are from official FSDA and police disclosures made during the operation.
