VARANASI: In a major breakthrough, the Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force (STF) has successfully busted a large medicine manufacturing racket in Varanasi that supplied fake and spurious drugs in the name of branded or patent drugs. The kingpin of this fake medicines racket, Ashok Kumar, has been apprehended by the police.
According to the STF officials, this racket was operating from Baddi, Himachal Pradesh, and had illegally stored the fake drugs in Varanasi, Purvanchal, and Patna. These fake medicines were then supplied to various parts of the country, including Gaya, Purnia, Bihar, Kolkata, West Bengal, Hyderabad, and Andhra Pradesh, among others.
The gang manufactured and supplied fake medicine brands such as Monocef O, Gabapin NT, Clavam 625, Pan D, Pan 40, Cef AZ, and Taxim O. The police have seized about 300 boxes of these drugs worth Rs 7.5 crore from the arrest site and the godown at Maheshpur police station in Maduadih.
Apart from the fake drugs, the police have also confiscated Rs 4.40 lakh in cash, forged bills, and other papers from the accused. The police are currently carrying out further investigations and recoveries with the help of the local police station and the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department.
The issue of fake medicines is not new in India, and it has been a growing concern for a long time. According to a report by the World Health Organization, around 10% of medicines sold in low- and middle-income countries, including India, are substandard or fake.
The impact of these fake medicines on the health of people can be severe and even life-threatening. These medicines not only fail to treat the illness but can also cause serious harm to the patients. Moreover, it undermines the confidence of the public in the healthcare system and the medicines.
The Indian government has been taking steps to tackle the issue of fake medicines. The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, have provisions for regulating and controlling the manufacture, sale, and distribution of drugs in India. The government has also set up the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines.
The busting of the fake medicines racket by the Uttar Pradesh STF is a commendable effort, and it highlights the need for strict measures to curb the menace of fake medicines. The government needs to take more effective steps to regulate and monitor the manufacture, sale, and distribution of drugs in the country to ensure the safety and well-being of the people.