Noida: Fake drug syndicate busted; 94 vials, banned drugs seized on Diwali

NOIDA: In a Diwali night operation, Noida’s Phase 3 police uncovered a fake drug manufacturing and distribution ring in Sector 68, seizing 94 counterfeit vials and banned injections, police officers said on Friday, adding that they have arrested a 45-year-old suspected supplier.
Acting on a tip off, an inspection was launched amid the festive night’s heightened security measures, leading to the arrest of the suspected supplier identified as Chandrashekhar (single name), a resident of Hathras, who was living in Delhi’s Khajuri area for some time, they added.
According to police, the suspect is believed to be a key player in a larger network manufacturing and distributing counterfeit and banned pharmaceuticals that could pose serious health risks to the public.
“Police are now investigating Chandrashekhar’s criminal background and identifying other individuals involved in the gang. It is suspected that the operation has been active for some time, endangering countless lives by circulating unauthorized and potentially dangerous drugs in the community,” said Shakti Mohan Awasthi, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), central zone.
The suspect was involved in manufacturing and distributing of fake drugs across Delhi-NCR. Vials of mephentermine sulfate—a powerful drug misused in various medical settings— have been recovered. The cost of one vial of the drug in black market is around ₹2,000, officers said.
The origins and supply chain of these fake medicines and their source are being probed to find out where they were meant to be distributed across NCR, they added.
“A case has been registered at Phase 3 police station against the suspect under section 318(1) (cheating), 388 (imprisonment or committal of person refusing to answer or produce document) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940,” the DCP said, adding that the investigation would extend to anyone aiding or abetting the suspect.