The Haryana Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in a joint operation with the Gurugram and Delhi Police, busted an interstate gang supplying spurious blood pressure medicines. Two individuals were arrested from Delhi and Moradabad in connection with the case.
A senior FDA officer said the accused were distributing consignments of counterfeit 'Telmisartan AM' — a popular medication used to treat high blood pressure — in markets across Haryana and Delhi. The arrested accused were identified as Subrat Diwedi, a Delhi resident, and Zubair, a Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh resident.
“We have recovered 178 strips of counterfeit Telma-AM so far. It is revealed that 1,700 strips were procured with an MRP of Rs 350. A further probe is underway,” said Amandeep Chauhan, district drug controller.
The Haryana Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received information that counterfeit medicines were being supplied through a wholesale drug agency operating under the name 'Shri Balaji Forum' in Gurugram. The agency in question did not possess the valid license required for the drug trade.
According to FDA officials, an investigation was launched by a joint team of three Drug Control Officers, constituted under the instructions of senior officials, following the report of counterfeit medicine sales.
The accused were traced by investigating the supply chain. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the case from Delhi and Moradabad. During preliminary interrogation, the accused revealed the counterfeit medicines were manufactured in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, and subsequently distributed to Haryana, Delhi and other regions via Lucknow. The FDA is now working to identify other individuals linked to this network as well as the factory where the spurious medicines were produced.
Officials said that the seized counterfeit medication is used to control blood pressure. If a patient consumes such spurious medicine, their blood pressure could become uncontrolled, increasing the risk of serious and life-threatening conditions like a heart attack. The investigation is ongoing, and action may soon be taken against other individuals linked to this gang.