Counterfeit Medicine Bust in Maharashtra

Two individuals were arrested in Maharashtra's Thane district for distributing counterfeit blood pressure medication, imitating a well-known brand. Seized by the FDA, the fake Telma AM tablets were valued at Rs 9 lakh. The accused, aware of the threat to health, continued to distribute the drugs.

Authorities in Maharashtra's Thane district have cracked down on counterfeit pharmaceuticals, apprehending two individuals for allegedly distributing fake blood pressure medications surveyed at a value of Rs 9 lakh, according to an official statement released Wednesday.

The counterfeit drugs mimicked a well-known brand, Telma AM, containing Telmisartan and Amlodipine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) executed a raid on January 20, seizing 2,795 strips of these fake tablets, the report noted. The distributor, Pankaj Radheshyam Upadhyay, was taken into custody on January 21 after being found knowingly involved in the scam.

An extensive investigation revealed that Vivek Ajaykumar Rai supplied these counterfeit drugs. Arrested on February 16, the accused face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Further investigations are ongoing, led by esteemed officers Atul Zende and Suhas Hemade.

(With inputs from agencies.)