Government of Telangana, Drugs Control Administration Receives INTERPOL Recognition for Tackling Counterfeit Drugs in Hyderabad
Hyderabad January 20
In a significant achievement, the Drugs Control Administration in Telangana has earned praise from INTERPOL for its successful crackdown on spurious drugs in Hyderabad. Counterfeit drugs pose a serious threat to public health, often masquerading as genuine products.
Telangana’s Drugs Control Administration officers have been tirelessly working to identify and eliminate the circulation of spurious drugs in the market, aiming to ensure the state remains free from this menace.
On December 29, 2023, the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, dismantled a spurious/counterfeit drug racket dealing in fake antibiotics, hypertension, and cholesterol medicines, as well as analgesics. These counterfeit drugs were falsely labeled under renowned pharmaceutical companies like Sun Pharma, Glenmark Pharma, Aristo Pharmaceuticals, Torrent Pharma, and even claimed to be manufactured by a fictitious/non-existent company. The illegal shipments, worth twenty-six lakhs, were traced to Hyderabad from Kashipur, Uttarakhand.
Further strengthening their crackdown, on January 3, 2024, the Drugs Control Administration uncovered another counterfeit/spurious antibiotics racket. The fake antibiotics were being shipped to Telangana State through couriers from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Raids at Uppal and Dilsukhnagar in Hyderabad led to the seizure of counterfeit antibiotics valued at Rs. 22.95 lakhs.
In a bid to raise public awareness about spurious drugs, the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, issued an advisory on January 12, 2024.
Recognition for these commendable efforts came from INTERPOL, a global organization actively involved in combating counterfeit medicines worldwide. In a letter dated January 16, 2024, INTERPOL extended congratulations to the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, for their successful detection and seizure of spurious drugs in Hyderabad.
