Pune News: FDA Cracks Down On Fake Drug Network; Seizes Medicines Worth ₹12.47 Lakh
Pune News: FDA Cracks Down On Fake Drug Network; Seizes Medicines Worth ₹12.47 Lakh ( Representational Image )
In a major operation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has dismantled an inter-state network involved in the illegal production and distribution of spurious medicines. The crackdown, carried out between January 23 and February 14, was a joint effort by FDA teams from Pune, Thane, and Nandurbar.
During the raids in Pune and Nandurbar, officials seized counterfeit Ayurvedic products, including churna and chyawanprash, valued at ₹12.47 lakh. The products were found to be falsely labelled with exaggerated health claims, violating The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
The operation began on January 23 when FDA officials raided M/s Tykhe Healthcare India Pvt Ltd in Kondhwa, Pune. The company, active for 18 months, was found producing counterfeit Ayurvedic and Unani medicines. Medicines worth ₹6 lakh were confiscated, and ten samples were sent for laboratory testing. Additionally, some products carried labels claiming they were manufactured by M/s Sufi Centre, Bhiwandi, Thane. However, FDA Thane confirmed the facility had no license or authorization for such production.
Further investigations led the FDA to Maloni village in Nandurbar, where a second illegal manufacturing unit operated by Tykhe Healthcare was discovered. FDA officials from Dhule and Nandurbar seized medicines and machinery worth ₹6.47 lakh from the unlicensed facility. Although the unit held an FSSAI license, it was invalid for producing Ayurvedic and Unani medicines.
GD Hukare, Joint Commissioner (Drug), FDA Pune, stated that while no FIR has been registered yet, investigations are ongoing to determine if the fake drugs were distributed across Maharashtra. Action will be taken based on the findings from the lab reports.
