What began as a single counterfeit tablet sample in Lucknow’s Aminabad market has, within days, exposed a sprawling interstate fake medicine network. Coordinated raids by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) — working alongside Ghaziabad Crime Branch and Uttarakhand’s drug authorities — have now touched Lucknow, Agra, Gonda, Varanasi and Dehradun, with tens of crores worth of counterfeit drugs seized and multiple firms suspended or sealed.

How It Started: A Fake Tablet in Aminabad

On July 19, a case registered at Aminabad Police Station in Lucknow over the storage and sale of fake medicines led to the recovery of 43 types of counterfeit drugs. A sample of the tablet ‘Flozen AA’ tested spurious, prompting FSDA headquarters to form a Special Enforcement Team. By analyzing mobile data, WhatsApp chats, and packaging patterns, investigators traced the gang’s main supplier, Rajendra Singh alias Arun Tunda, to Ghaziabad, where he was arrested on July 22 near KW Mall, Raj Nagar Extension.

Separately, on the night of July 6, officials intercepted a suspicious carton near Alambagh Bus Station in Lucknow, recovering 4,800 Chymotrypsin and 2,940 Ofloxacin tablets without valid documentation. That thread led to a same-day raid in Varanasi’s Chaudhary Katra area. Combined, these two Lucknow-origin investigations resulted in the suspension of 12 pharmaceutical firms and the seizure of suspected pharmaceutical products worth more than ₹26.60 lakh across Lucknow and Varanasi.

“The sample of the tablet ‘Flozen AA’ recovered during the Aminabad operation was found to be spurious, which led us, through digital evidence, to an entire interstate network.”
— Dr Roshan Jacob, Commissioner, FSDA Uttar Pradesh

The Trail Leads to a Dehradun Factory

Digital forensics on the arrested supplier’s phone revealed WhatsApp chats containing images of fake medicine strips, packaging material, machine parts, and manufacturing photos — evidence that pointed investigators to an illegal factory in East Hope Town, Dehradun. A joint team from FSDA Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad Crime Branch, and FSDA Uttarakhand raided the premises, recovering an Alu-Alu packing machine, strip machine, inkjet belt printer, compressor, semi-finished tablets and capsules, printed foil, and master cartons — goods and machinery worth nearly ₹1 crore.

The seized stock included counterfeit versions of Gabapin-100, Zoril M-2, and Cefolac-200, fraudulently branded under more than a dozen reputed pharmaceutical companies including Cipla, Lupin, Dr Reddy’s, Sun Pharma, Intas, Abbott, Macleods, and Zydus. Two accused were arrested, while the search for other gang members continues.

Today’s Crackdown at a Glance

Agra: 15 Drug Inspectors, 13 Firms in a Single Sweep

In a parallel operation under Commissioner Dr Roshan Jacob’s leadership, a team of 15 Drug Inspectors simultaneously raided 13 firms across Agra’s Kambutola, Mubarak Mahal, Shoe Market, Krishna Complex, Navbiya Market, and Kotwali areas. Two establishments — Mohan Traders and Money Medical — were completely sealed, while restrictions under Section 22(1)(d) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act were imposed on Neelkanth and Manu Pharma over fake billing and unlicensed sale.

The Bigger Picture — Gonda, Varanasi and a ₹20 Crore Statewide Racket

Zooming out, FSDA’s broader investigation — running in parallel to these individual busts — has already recovered nearly ₹20 crore worth of counterfeit medicines across Agra, Lucknow, Gonda, Lakhimpur Kheri, Maharajganj, and Gorakhpur, with legal action initiated against more than 50 medical stores. Investigators say counterfeit medicines sourced from Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttarakhand are typically routed through major wholesale markets in Agra and Lucknow before reaching small-town retailers — the same interstate pattern now visible in the Aminabad-to-Dehradun trail.

Officials note that genuine medicines carry thin margins for retailers, while counterfeit versions — supplied off-invoice and on credit — offer far higher returns, which is what keeps the network expanding despite repeated crackdowns.

Timeline of Today’s Developments

Sources: ANI · The420.in · NewsX · TAPA APAC · News Track · PTI · Dr Roshan Jacob, FSDA Uttar Pradesh (official statements).