Liv.52 Medicines Racket: The Ghaziabad Police have dismantled a major counterfeit medicines network after a complaint from pharmaceutical company Himalaya Wellness flagged the circulation of fake versions of its popular liver care drug, Liv.52, in the market. Officials said the action followed a detailed investigation that led to the seizure of nearly 50,000 counterfeit tablets.
The case began on January 3, when the company approached the police alleging that spurious Liv.52 tablets were being illegally manufactured and supplied to local retailers. Taking the complaint seriously, police initiated a probe to identify the source and distribution channels of the fake medicines.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rural) Surendra Nath Tewari, information provided by the company indicated that the counterfeit products were being supplied from the Muradnagar area and distributed further in Aligarh. Acting on these inputs, the police registered an FIR at the Muradnagar police station and launched a technical investigation to trace the supply chain.
During questioning, the accused revealed that the racket expanded quickly due to unusually high profit margins. Investigators found that the manufacturing process was spread across two states, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which significantly reduced production costs and helped the network evade early detection.
Police said the counterfeit Liv.52 tablets were manufactured by a company operating in Haryana, while packaging materials such as wrappers and boxes were sourced from Meerut. Once assembled, the fake products were supplied to markets across western Uttar Pradesh.
The accused disclosed that producing one box of the counterfeit medicine cost them between ₹35 and ₹40. These boxes were then supplied to retailers at prices ranging from ₹110 to ₹115. In contrast, the genuine Liv.52 tablets carry a maximum retail price of ₹280 per box, making it easier for the accused to push the fake products by offering shopkeepers higher margins while undercutting the original brand.
Following the registration of the case, the Muradnagar police team, with assistance from the SWAT unit, intensified surveillance and technical analysis to identify those involved. Several suspects were later called in for questioning, during which they admitted their role in manufacturing and distributing the counterfeit medicines.
Police have so far recovered around 50,000 fake Liv.52 tablets during the operation. Officials said further seizures are possible as the investigation progresses and more links in the supply chain are examined.
DCP Tewari said the probe is ongoing and warned that counterfeit medicines pose a serious risk to public health. He added that the police are investigating all aspects of the operation and will take strict legal action against everyone involved in the racket.