DCA Telangana cracks down on counterfeit drug racket
31 December 2023 | News
Seizes spurious medicines valued at Rs 6 lakh
In a significant operation, the Drug Control Administration (DCA) of Telangana has successfully dismantled a spurious/counterfeit drug manufacturing racket operating in Kukatpally, Hyderabad. The authorities seized counterfeit medicines valued at Rs 6 lakh from an unlicensed entity named Rams Pharmaceuticals located in Moosapet.
According to DCA officials, Rams Pharmaceuticals was illicitly producing counterfeit Anti Ulcer medicines in the name of a Punjab-based company without the requisite drug license from state regulatory authorities. Initial investigations revealed that Kouchika Ranjith Kumar, along with Mada Pavan and Shaik Subhani, were engaged in the illegal manufacturing of spurious drugs at Rams Pharmaceuticals, posing as a Food Supplement manufacturer.
The illicit products were then supplied to a wholesale distributor, M/s. Biomedic Pharmaceutical Private Ltd, situated in Nizamabad district.
Kamalasan Reddy, Director General of Drugs Control Administration (DCA) Telangana, disclosed that acting on reliable intelligence, a team from DCA's Medchal zone conducted a surprise raid at Rams Pharmaceuticals' premises in Moosapet. The company, holding a Food Manufacturing Licence (FSSAI license), was found to lack any drug manufacturing license.
During the raid, DCA officers uncovered the manufacturing of Anti Ulcer medicines, specifically "Essom-RD (Esomeprazole Gastro-Resistant & Domperidone Sustained Release capsules)," based on label foils linking the drug to QP Phermachem Ltd in Punjab. Stereos used for printing batch details on medicine labels were also confiscated.
The investigation further revealed that the counterfeit drugs were supplied to M/s. Biomedic Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd. in Nizamabad through Jaypee Daily Parcel Services located in Kukatpally. DCA officers in Nizamabad subsequently raided the distributor and seized 29,600 capsules of the spurious drug.
G. Sreenivas, Assistant Director, Medchal, and Drugs Inspectors N. Sahaja and M. Sreebindu conducted the raid at Moosapet, while P. Sarala, Deputy Director, Nizamabad, and Drugs Inspectors N. Narsaiah, V. Srikanth, and R. Srilatha carried out the operation in Nizamabad.
DCA officials said that the spurious drugs pose a severe threat to public health, jeopardising patients' well-being. The seized counterfeit medicines have been taken for analysis, and further investigations will be conducted to take legal action against all involved offenders. The DCA remains committed to safeguarding public health and ensuring the integrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain, as observed by the drug regulatory authorities.
