Ghaziabad Police Crack Down on Counterfeit Liv-52 Manufacturing Ring
In a significant crackdown on pharmaceutical fraud, Ghaziabad police arrested five members of a criminal gang on Sunday for allegedly manufacturing and distributing counterfeit tablets under the brand name Himalaya's Liv-52. The operation led to the recovery of substantial evidence, including 50,000 fake tablets, 500 wrappers, 1,200 caps and containers, and a WagonR car used in the illicit activities.
Investigation Triggered by Corporate Complaint
According to DCP (Rural) Surendra Nath Tiwari, the investigation began when officials from Himalaya Wellness Company received intelligence about counterfeit versions of their popular Liv-52 product being sold in Aligarh. Further probing revealed that the fake medicines were being dispatched from an address in Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, through courier services. This discovery prompted Himalaya Wellness to file a formal police complaint at the Muradnagar police station, leading to immediate police action and a coordinated raid.
Arrests and Key Accused Identified
The police team successfully apprehended five individuals: Mayank Aggarwal (41), Tushar Thakur (25), Akash Thakur (28), and Nitin Tyagi (44), all residents of Ghaziabad, along with Anoop Garg (40), a Delhi resident. Investigators revealed that Tushar Thakur is a paramedical student, while Mayank Aggarwal served as the mastermind behind the entire counterfeit operation. The arrests mark a crucial step in dismantling the network responsible for producing and circulating fake medications.
Legal Charges and Ongoing Manhunt
An FIR has been registered against the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
- Section 318(4) for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property
- Section 336(3) for forgery intended for cheating
- Section 340(2) for using forged documents as genuine
- Section 274 for adulteration of food
- Section 276 for adulteration of drugs
Additionally, relevant sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Copyright Act have been invoked. Police have formed special teams to apprehend other absconding suspects whose identities emerged during the investigation.
Operation Details and Financial Motive
The accused had been running this counterfeit medicine operation for approximately four months, supplying fake Liv-52 tablets to multiple districts including Aligarh, Mathura, Bijnor, Agra, Meerut, and Shamli. During interrogation, they disclosed that manufacturing one box of counterfeit medicine cost them between Rs 35 and Rs 40. These boxes were then sold in the market for around Rs 110–115, creating a substantial profit margin.
A police officer explained the economic incentive behind the crime: "The genuine Himalaya Liv-52 product carries an MRP exceeding Rs 200 per box. This significant price difference allowed the accused to easily infiltrate the market by offering retailers higher margins while undercutting the legitimate brand, making the fake products attractive to unscrupulous sellers."
Supply Chain and Manufacturing Network
The investigation uncovered a sophisticated supply chain supporting the counterfeit operation:
- Containers and lids were manufactured by Kamaluddin, owner of Ekta Plastic Udyog in Meerut.
- Wrapper printing was handled at a printing press near Khairnagar Chaupla by Mujjamil, also from Meerut.
- The dye-making machine for containers and lids was prepared by Shakeel, a dye maker from Jamnanagar Navin Mandi.
- The actual Liv-52 tablets were manufactured by Subco Laboratories in Sonipat.
DCP Tiwari elaborated: "After collecting all these materials, the accused, along with their associates Joni Singh and Farman from village Jalalabad in Muradnagar, assembled the final counterfeit products."
Financial Transactions and Fake Company Front
The gang used a phone number registered under Joni Singh's name to communicate with medical firms for medicine supply. Their operations were fronted by a firm named NP Trading, owned by Mukesh Kumar. Fake bills for the counterfeit medicines were generated in the name of NP Trading Company and sent to clients.
"Farman was responsible for preparing fraudulent GST billing documentation," the DCP added. "Payments for goods supplied to companies were directed into NP Trading Company's bank account, and the proceeds were divided equally among the conspirators. Police teams are actively working to apprehend the remaining absconding accused in this elaborate scheme."
