The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttarakhand Police has dismantled a counterfeit medicine racket operating from outside the state. The operation led to the arrest of the main accused from Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, after he was found producing and supplying fake medicines labelled under reputed pharmaceutical brands.
Crackdown Originated from Dehradun
The investigation was initiated after local Dehradun authorities found suspicious medicinal products being sold in the market under the guise of genuine pharma labels. Preliminary lab tests confirmed the samples to be counterfeit.
Following this, the Dehradun Drugs Department filed a formal complaint. The case was subsequently transferred to the STF for further action.
Through a combination of cyber and field surveillance, STF officials traced the origins of the illegal medicine network to Bhiwadi, a prominent industrial zone in Rajasthan.
Accused Nabbed with Fake Medicines
The STF conducted a raid in Bhiwadi and apprehended the accused, identified as Pradeep Kumar. A substantial quantity of counterfeit medicines was recovered during the raid. Authorities confirmed that the seized drugs bore labels of trusted companies but lacked regulatory approval and appropriate chemical formulation.
Pradeep Kumar allegedly operated the manufacturing unit without licenses and supplied these fake medicines to different states, including Uttarakhand, posing a major health risk to unsuspecting consumers.
Officials stated that the factory setup was sophisticated enough to evade immediate suspicion, with packaging materials and forged QR labels used to mimic authentic brands.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.