With the arrest of four persons the Delhi Police Crime Branch claimed to have busted a gang of spurious and unregistered life-saving cancer drugs.
According to the police, an international carrier of these medicines, who belonged to Syria, has also been nabbed in the crackdown. He used to supply the drugs in Turkey, Egypt, and India, the police said.
The interstate gang was involved in allegedly manufacturing and also supplying fake drugs in the name of known brands.
A huge quantity of fake medicines including anti-cancer, anti-diabetic injections, and others worth crores of rupees were seized by the police during the operation.
Acting on information, police teams, carried out joint raids across Delhi on April 4 with the officials of the drug department GNCT, Delhi, and authorised representatives of a pharmaceutical company. During one such raid in Bhagirath Palace, they stumbled upon a suspicious stock of imported drugs along with other trade stock worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore meant for sale and distribution.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the owner of the outlet used to sell spurious life-saving drugs.
In the second raid, another medicine vendor located at the Daryaganj area was found in possession of suspicious stock of various imported drugs along with other trade stock worth Rs 2.5 crore. He too was allegedly dealing in spurious and unregistered lifesaving drugs.
The medicines recovered in the searches were found to be imported and were not authorised for sale and distribution in India. Hence, an FIR was registered under the appropriate sections of the law and the Copyright Act.
During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that the syndicate is run in connivance with some foreign nationals.
Meanwhile, intel was received by the police about a foreign national from Syria, who was arriving in Delhi for a deal in fake medicines.
On May 14, a trap was laid at New Delhi Railway Station and the foreigner, identified as Monir Ahmad, a resident of Aleppo, Syria, was apprehended.
During interrogation, he revealed that he acts as a carrier to supply the medicines between Turkey, Egypt, and India and was also involved in supplying Turkish and Egyptian medicines here and Indian medicines to Turkey and Egypt’s market.
The police also seized his mobile phone and two passports; one from Egypt and another from Syria. Two residence cards from Egypt and Turkey were also recovered from his possession.
The police claimed that through the intel, they came to know about the kingpin of the syndicate, who too is a foreign national and operates from Egypt.
One of the four persons involved in the racket has been identified as Naveen Arya, 40, who has operated a trader shop for four years.
During interrogation, he disclosed that he had purchased the medicine from a medical representative without a bill to get more profit.
The second arrested accused in the case has been identified as Saurabh Garg, who revealed that he procured defence supply medicines from various vendors.
The other two accused were identified as Karan Khaneja and Monir Ahmad. They disclosed that they usually visit the medical market at Bhagirath Palace and supply the imported (Turkish and Egyptian) medicines to their accomplices, Naveen Arya, Sourabh Garg.
Further linkages of the busted interstate syndicate associated with international illicit drug suppliers with Indian connections are being investigated, police said.