Three Arrested For Alleged Interstate Syndicate Supplying Counterfeit BP Medicines In Gujarat

Crime Branch Traces Suspected Manufacturing Hub To Uttarakhand; 36,000 Tablets Supplied Outside UP, 1,500 Strips Believed Sold

The Detection of Ahmedabad Crime Branch, in a joint operation with the Food and Drug Regulatory Authority, has arrested three persons from Ahmedabad and Lucknow for allegedly manufacturing, procuring and distributing counterfeit blood pressure medicines across Gujarat.

The investigation has now taken police to Uttarakhand, where officials suspect a major manufacturing hub for the counterfeit medicines may be operating. Two Crime Branch teams have been dispatched to the state to trace the alleged manufacturing facility and identify others involved in producing and supplying the fake drugs.

Patient’s Complications Bring Suspected Fake Drug To Light

The case came to light after a person who had consumed the suspected counterfeit medicine developed complications and reported the matter, senior officials said.

The information eventually reached J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the manufacturer of the genuine medicine, following which the pharmaceutical company approached the authorities.

The company, based at GIDC Ankleshwar, submitted a written complaint to the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Regulatory Authority, Gujarat, on August 19, alleging that counterfeit versions of its Nicardia Retard 10 (Nifedipine Sustained Release Tablets IP 10 mg) were being sold in the market.

The complaint concerned tablets bearing batch number ACG25007, manufactured in June 2025 and having an expiry date of May 2028, with manufacturing licence number G/394.

The company subsequently approached the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner, following which separate teams of the Crime Branch and the Food and Drug Regulatory Authority were formed to investigate the alleged counterfeit drug network.

Fake Tablets Allegedly Made To Resemble Genuine Medicine

Investigators suspect that the accused reproduced the name, packaging, label and batch details of the genuine product to make the counterfeit tablets difficult for medical retailers and patients to distinguish from the original.

The alleged racket is considered particularly serious as the medicine is prescribed to patients suffering from high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions.

Officials said consumption of counterfeit medicines can pose serious health risks, depending on the substances used in their manufacture.

Distribution Trail Leads From Lucknow To Gujarat

During the investigation, officials traced the distribution chain to several medical agencies and stores in Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat.

According to the Crime Branch, stock sold through Pashwa Medical Agency in Paldi had allegedly been supplied by Sena Medical in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

The investigation also led officials to Nadiad, where 30 strips of Nicardia Retard 10 bearing the same batch details were seized from Kishan Medical Store at Saptdeep Society on Patel Bakery Road.

Police said the investigation further revealed that the medicine was being supplied through other distributors.

Stock found in Kutch district was allegedly supplied through AVR Medicos in Jaipur, while another distributor, Navkar Medical Agency, was found selling the medicine after procuring it through Mahadev Medical Agency in Bhuj.

36,000 Tablets Supplied Outside Uttar Pradesh

According to investigators, a total of 3,600 strips containing approximately 36,000 tablets were supplied outside Uttar Pradesh from Lucknow.

Of these, around 2,700 strips were allegedly supplied to Gujarat. Ahmedabad Crime Branch and health department officials have so far recovered around 1,200 strips.

The remaining 1,500 strips are believed to have been sold.

Police suspect that some of the counterfeit medicines may already have been consumed, while some of the remaining stock may have been further distributed outside Gujarat through Pashwa Medical Agency in Ahmedabad.

Uttarakhand Emerges As Suspected Manufacturing Hub

As investigators followed the supply chain, they found indications that the counterfeit medicines were being manufactured at a hub in Uttarakhand.

Senior officials said the preliminary investigation suggested that Uttarakhand had emerged as a possible hub for manufacturing counterfeit medicines, allegedly because chemicals required for producing such drugs were readily available there.

Two Crime Branch teams have therefore been sent to Uttarakhand to locate the suspected manufacturing unit, identify the people operating it and establish how the medicines were transported to Gujarat and other states.

Officials are also investigating whether the same manufacturing network is responsible for producing counterfeit versions of other medicines.

FSL To Determine Contents Of Seized Tablets

The Crime Branch has sent samples of the seized medicine to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for detailed examination.

Senior officials said laboratory analysis would establish the contents of the seized tablets and determine which substances or chemicals were used in their manufacture.

The findings are expected to help investigators assess the potential health risks posed by the counterfeit medicine and establish whether the tablets contained the active pharmaceutical ingredient or any other substance.

The results could also provide investigators with important leads about the manufacturing process and source of the counterfeit drugs.

Three Arrested; Two Have Previous Cases

The Crime Branch arrested three accused at around 9.45 pm on August 26. They have been identified as Darsheel Sanghvi, 39, a resident of Paldi, Ahmedabad; Devendra Jat Yadav, 39, a resident of Lucknow; and Umang Rastogi, 34, also from Lucknow.

According to police, Sanghvi was involved in the wholesale medicine trade in Ahmedabad. Investigators allege that he ordered stocks of counterfeit medicines and subsequently sold them to sub-distributors in Ahmedabad and other cities. Police said he has no previous criminal record.

Yadav allegedly procured counterfeit medicines at heavily discounted rates and supplied them to distributors in Gujarat. Police said he had also been arrested in June 2026 in connection with a counterfeit medicine case registered at Vishramnagar police station in Pune, Maharashtra.

Rastogi allegedly procured medicines from drug sellers at high discounts and supplied them to Gujarat, earning commissions from the transactions.

His criminal history, according to police, includes an arrest in June 2026 in the same Pune counterfeit medicine case and a case registered under the GST Act in September 2022.

Police Issue Caution Over Suspected Counterfeit Batch

Following the detection of the counterfeit batch, the Crime Branch has advised people to avoid consuming the suspected counterfeit Nicardia Retard 10 medicine for the time being.

Officials are examining whether the batch was supplied to other medical stores, hospitals, agencies or patients across Gujarat and elsewhere.

A complaint was lodged by Shirishbhai, son of Himmatbhai Ganaswa, Senior Drugs Inspector, Ahmedabad Division. The Crime Branch registered a case at DCB Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Probe Expands Beyond Gujarat

Police teams have already been dispatched to Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Jaipur, as well as other districts, to identify the source of the counterfeit medicines and trace their distribution network.

With the suspected manufacturing link emerging in Uttarakhand, two additional teams have been sent there.

Investigators are now probing whether the three arrested accused were part of a larger interstate syndicate involved in the manufacturing, procurement, transportation and distribution of counterfeit medicines.

The Crime Branch has also appealed to medical stores, hospitals, distributors and members of the public who may have received or purchased suspected counterfeit Nicardia Retard 10 tablets from the accused or their network to contact the investigating officers.

The investigation is ongoing, with the FSL report and findings of the Uttarakhand teams expected to provide further details about the composition, source and scale of the alleged counterfeit medicine network.