Ghaziabad police have busted a large counterfeit medicines racket following a complaint by the Himalayan company about fake versions of its popular product Liv.52 being sold in the market.
The complaint was received on January 3 and alleged that counterfeit Liv.52 tablets were being manufactured and supplied to local shops. Based on this information, police initiated a detailed investigation into the alleged racket, Hindustan Times reported.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Surendra Nath Tewari said the complaint indicated that “fake goods were supplied from Muradnagar and distributed in Aligarh”, giving investigators their first lead in the case. Police then registered a case at the Muradnagar police station and began tracking the supply chain based on this input.
High Margins, Multi-State Network
Police said questioning of the accused revealed that the counterfeit operation expanded rapidly due to unusually high profit margins. Investigators found that manufacturing was spread across Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which helped bring down production costs, the report said.
The accused admitted that the fake Liv.52 tablets were produced by a company in Haryana, while the packaging material, including wrappers and boxes, was sourced from Meerut.
Cost and Pricing Details Emerge
Police said the accused disclosed that producing one box of counterfeit medicine cost between Rs 35 and Rs 40. These boxes were then sold in the market for Rs 110–115.
In contrast, the original Liv.52 product carries an MRP of Rs 280 per box. Investigators said this sharp price difference allowed the accused to lure shopkeepers with higher margins while undercutting the genuine brand.
SWAT Team Joins Probe
Following the FIR, the Muradnagar police, with support from the SWAT team, launched a technical investigation to trace the individuals behind the racket.
DCP Tewari said several suspects were identified during the probe and were later called in for questioning, during which they admitted their involvement in the counterfeit operation.
Police also seized around 50,000 fake tablets during the crackdown.
“Our investigation is ongoing, and we are looking into other individuals involved. We are investigating all aspects of the operation, and further action will be taken accordingly,” HT quoted the DCP as saying.