From UP, Rajasthan to Gujarat: Police bust interstate racket in popular BP drug Nicardia Retard

Gujarat Police have dismantled a vast interstate network involved in the production and sale of counterfeit hypertension medication, apprehending three individuals, two of them from Uttar Pradesh. Several batches of counterfeit Nicardia Retard 10, a widely prescribed drug for managing high blood pressure, were seized from stores in Nadiad, Kheda, and Bhuj, Kutch.

India has a high prevalence of hypertension, with 21.3% of females and 24% of males aged 15 and above having elevated blood pressure, according to the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) conducted in 2019–20. Nicardia Retard contains nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker that relaxes blood vessels to reduce pressure and improve blood flow.

The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of Ahmedabad City Police acted on a complaint from J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a prominent Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company, about fake Nicardia Retard 10 being sold in Gujarat. The FDCA found the counterfeit drug at various medical stores across the state. The investigation traced the fake medication to Parshva Medical Agency in Ahmedabad, which procured supplies from Sena Medical Agency in Lucknow, and AVR Medicose in Jaipur.

The accused operated as an organized network for procuring, manufacturing, and distributing counterfeit medicines for financial gain. The counterfeit tablets closely resembled genuine products, making it difficult for patients and buyers to identify them. Police registered an FIR and arrested three individuals, including Darshil Girish Thakarshi Sanghvi, Devendra, and Umang Abhay Purshottamdas Rastogi, all originally from Lucknow. The probe is ongoing, with more arrests expected as the authorities deepen their investigation.