New Delhi, February 14 The Delhi Police have busted a fake medicine manufacturing unit in Gaya, Bihar, the second such operation in the last week, and arrested another accused linked to an interstate drug syndicate, an official said on Friday.
The key accused, Arun, 59, was running an illegal drug manufacturing unit without qualified chemists, he said, adding that police have arrested a total of nine members of the cartel so far.
Police have recovered a large quantity of fake drugs, raw materials, and heavy machinery used for large-scale production, he said.
The fake drugs recovered by police include 1.19 lakh spurious Zinc tablets, over 42,000 fake Azithromycin tablets, 27 kg of paracetamol powder, 444 fake Dilona Aqua ampoules, and equipment for tablet manufacturing, they said.
Police said that Arun processed over 5 kg of smuggled tramadol powder, valued at more than Rs 5 crore in the international market, into tablets, which were later sold through bogus medical fronts at inflated prices.
According to the police, the tablets were being marketed as painkillers and also used as a substitute for heroin.
With Arun's arrest, a total of nine members of the cartel have been apprehended so far in connection with the interstate racket.
He had been traced after the interrogation of another accused, Tanishq, whom police arrested last week, they said.
The operation was part of a larger crackdown that recently led to the discovery of a similar fake factory in Patna last week.
Further investigation is underway to identify the remaining members, police said.