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

A joint 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.

During the raid at Nectar Herbs & Drugs in Uttarakhand on February 29, officials seized a substantial quantity of counterfeit medications, including 38,350 tablets of counterfeit Omnicef-O and 200 tablets of Cefixime.

It was also discovered that counterfeit Cefixime Tablets 200 mg were being falsely labelled as Omnicef-O 200 Tablets, purportedly manufactured by Aristo Pharma. The DCA said: "The drug was falsely labelled as manufactured by Aristo Pharmaceuticals, bearing Batch No. BPF232040, Mfg. Date: June 2023, Exp. Dt. May-2025."

The DCA also said that Vishad Kumar, the CEO of Nectar Herbs & Drugs, allegedly allowed the manufacturing of spurious drugs at his manufacturing facility for payment of ₹35,000 for 1,00,000 dummy tablets.

The magnitude of the illegal operation is underscored by the staggering value of the seized stocks from the raid at Nectar Herbs, amounting to ₹44.33 lakh. Further investigations are being carried out, as per DCA.