Six held for selling fake life-saving drugs

The Delhi Police on Sunday arrested six persons allegedly involved in an organised interstate network engaged in the manufacture, storage and distribution of counterfeit life-saving Schedule H medicines. The operation also led to the exposure of a parallel racket involving fictitious GST firms used to generate fake invoices and launder proceeds from the illegal trade. 
Officials of the Crime Branch said the cyber cell dismantled the syndicate following a raid conducted on March 11 at Bihari Colony in Shahdara. Over 1.2 lakh counterfeit tablets and capsules were seized, and an illegal pharmaceutical manufacturing unit was busted. Investigators also uncovered a fake GST billing network estimated at around ₹50 crore. 
“During the raid, Nikhil Arora, alias Sunny, who was operating a wholesale medical shop, Baba Shyam Medicos, in Bhagirathi Palace, was arrested. The seized drugs included commonly prescribed medicines for diabetes, hypertension, infections, liver disorders and inflammation, posing a serious public health risk when counterfeited,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam. Police said drug manufacturers and regulatory authorities have confirmed that the seized medicines are counterfeit. 
Police said the accused used fake GST firms to issue invoices and facilitate the supply of counterfeit medicines. “These entities existed only on paper and were created to conceal the actual business operations, evade tax and regulatory scrutiny while lending apparent legitimacy to illegal transactions,” the DCP informed. Payments and supply chains were routed through these entities to mask the origin and destination of spurious medicines, he added. 
Two of the accused, identified as Shahrukh and Rahul, allegedly operated the GST racket through messaging platforms, Telegram and WhatsApp, providing ready-made firms and invoices. Analysis of their mobile data revealed details of multiple shell firms, fake invoices amounting to at least ₹50 crore, and links to beneficiaries across several states. “This GST racket acted as the financial backbone of the counterfeit medicine network,” Mr. Gautam said. 
Police identified the other arrested persons as Shivam Tyagi, Mayank Aggarwal and Mohit Sharma, the suppliers; and Shahrukh and Rahul who provided fake GST firms. A case has been registered against all six persons under sections 318(4) (cheating), 336 (forgery), 340 (forging document), 275 (sale of harmful substance) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, various sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Trade Marks Act. 
Additionally, acting on disclosures by Sharma, the police conducted a subsequent raid on an illegal pharmaceutical manufacturing unit in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The facility, spread over about 1,000 square yards, was allegedly operated by Mohd. Aqdas Siddiqui, who is on the run. Police said he is also involved in large-scale production of counterfeit medicines.