Recent developments in the counterfeit cancer chemotherapy drugs scandal uncovered by the Delhi Police reveal the apprehension of a B.Tech alumnus from IIT (BHU) Varanasi in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, according to a statement from a Crime Branch official on Wednesday. The apprehended individual, Aditya Krishna, aged 23, was taken into custody in his hometown of Muzaffarpur and transported to Delhi.
It is alleged by the authorities that Aditya engaged in the procurement of medications from one of the implicated parties and distributed them to Pune and the National Capital Region (NCR). Additionally, he operated a pharmaceutical outlet in Muzaffarpur. This marks the eighth arrest in connection with this case.
Prior to this, on Tuesday, law enforcement arrested seven individuals, including two staff members of a prestigious hospital, and dismantled an illicit facility manufacturing counterfeit life-saving cancer chemotherapy medications. A senior police official disclosed the seizure of counterfeit cancer medications from seven international and two Indian brands, with an estimated value of Rs 4 crore, from the illicit facility in the Moti Nagar area and three other sites.
The apprehended suspects were identified as Viphil Jain, Suraj Shat, Neeraj Chauhan, Parvez, Komal Tiwari, Abhinay Kohli, and Tushar Chauhan. Shalini Singh, Special Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, stated that coordinated raids were conducted at four separate locations in Delhi and Gurugram based on gathered intelligence.
“The primary site for the production of counterfeit cancer medications was identified as DLF Capital Greens, Moti Nagar, where Jain, the architect behind this operation, had secured two economically weaker section (EWS) apartments to manufacture these medications. Suraj Shat, another suspect, oversaw the refilling and packaging of the vials,” she remarked.
During the operation, 140 filled vials of counterfeit cancer injections from renowned brands such as Opdyta, Keytruda, Dextrose, and Fluconazole were confiscated. Furthermore, authorities seized Rs 50,000 in cash, 1,000 US dollars, three cap sealing machines, a heat gun machine, and 197 empty vials along with other necessary packaging materials. “In South City, Gurugram, Haryana, Neeraj Chauhan stockpiled a substantial quantity of counterfeit cancer injections/vials,” the Special CP stated.
The raid yielded 137 vials of counterfeit cancer injections from brands including Keytruda, Infinzi, Tecentriq, Perjeta, Opdyta, Darzalex, and Erbitux, along with 519 empty vials of similar brands, as well as cash totaling Rs 89 lakh and 18,000 US dollars. “Neeraj’s relative, Tushar Chauhan, involved in the distribution network, was also apprehended,” she revealed.
“At Yamuna Vihar, the operation targeted Parvez, who facilitated empty vials for Viphil Jain and participated in the distribution of refilled vials. Twenty empty vials were seized from his possession,” she added. “In another operation at a renowned cancer hospital in Delhi, two individuals, Komal Tiwari and Abhinay Kohli, employed in the Cytotoxic Admixture Unit, were detained. They supplied empty vials for Rs 5,000 each,” she mentioned.
Jain, hailing from Delhi, commenced his career as a pharmacy employee in Seelampur and gradually transitioned to the distribution of medications from wholesale markets to local vendors. “Approximately three years ago, he conceived the idea of refilling counterfeit cancer injections, targeting high-value brands. He collaborated with Parvez for empty vials and Neeraj Chauhan for further distribution. Shat aided Jain in the refilling of vials at his rented accommodations in Moti Nagar,” the Special CP disclosed.
Neeraj Chauhan, previously employed as a manager in the Oncology Department of prestigious hospitals, allied with Jain in 2022, leveraging his expertise to provide counterfeit chemotherapy injections at competitive prices. “Parvez, a former pharmacist at a renowned cancer hospital, operated a pharmacy and supplied empty and filled vials to Jain. Tiwari and Kohli, employed at a prestigious cancer hospital since 2013, facilitated the supply of empty and filled vials to Parvez,” the Special CP stated. “Tushar Chauhan, a laboratory technician, collaborated with Neeraj Chauhan in the distribution of counterfeit medications,” she concluded.