Fake cancer drug racket busted, seven arrested

The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has dismantled a racket involving seven individuals accused of manufacturing and distributing counterfeit ‘life-saving’ cancer chemotherapy drugs, officials announced on Tuesday.

The apprehended suspects, identified as Viphil Jain (46), Suraj Shat (28), Neeraj Chauhan (38), Parvez (33), Komal Tiwari (39), Abhinay Kohli (30), and Tushar Chauhan (28), are alleged to have jeopardised lives by peddling counterfeit medications, the police stated.

“Upon receiving information about a syndicate engaged in the production and distribution of spurious cancer medication, a specialised team was formed,” stated Special Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Shalini Singh.

According to the officer, based on developed intelligence, simultaneous raids were carried out at four locations—two flats in Moti Nagar, one in South City of Gurgaon, one in Yamuna Vihar of northeast Delhi, and a renowned cancer hospital in Delhi.

The Special CP disclosed that two flats in DLF Capital Greens, Moti Nagar, served as the primary site where Viphil Jain orchestrated the manufacturing of spurious cancer medicines. “Jain utilised two EWS Flats in Moti Nagar, employing them to replenish the counterfeit cancer medicine (vials). Suraj Shat managed the refilling and packaging of these vials,” explained the senior officer.

During the raids, authorities seized 140 filled vials of counterfeit cancer injections from brands such as Opdyta, Keytruda, Dextrose, and Fluconazole, along with three cap sealing machines, one Heat Gun Machine, and 197 empty vials, among other essential packaging materials.

At the Gurgaon flat, Neeraj Chauhan stockpiled a substantial cache of counterfeit cancer injections, the Special CP disclosed.

During the operation, authorities confiscated 137 vials of counterfeit cancer injections, including Keytruda, Infinzi, Tecentriq, Perjeta, Opdyta, Darzalex, and Erbitux, along with 519 empty vials and 864 empty packaging boxes. Neeraj’s cousin brother Tushar Chauhan, implicated in the supply chain, was also apprehended.

In Yamuna Vihar, police detained Parvez, who allegedly facilitated empty vials for Viphil Jain and was involved in the distribution of refilled vials. Twenty empty vials were seized from his possession.

At a reputed Cancer hospital in the city (name withheld by the police), two individuals, Komal Tiwari and Abhinay Kohli, employed in the Cytotoxic Admixture Unit, were apprehended during the fourth raid. They were allegedly involved in providing empty vials for Rs 5,000 each, the Special CP revealed.

Police investigations revealed that Neeraj Chauhan, formerly employed as a manager in the Oncology Department of prestigious hospitals, collaborated with Jain in 2022, leveraging his expertise to supply counterfeit chemotherapy injections at discounted rates.

“Parvez, a former pharmacist of a distinguished Cancer Hospital, operated a pharmacy shop and supplied both empty and filled vials to Jain. Tushar Chauhan, a laboratory technician, collaborated with Neeraj Chauhan to distribute fake medicines assigned to them by Neeraj,” the Special CP said. (With inputs from PTI)