Two arrested over selling counterfeit drugs, vaccines for children

KARACHI: Two accused persons have been arrested by Liaqauatabad police officials on a tip-off in Karachi over charges of selling fake and expired medicines and vaccines for children.

Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Central told media that two persons were arrested for playing with the lives of innocent children by selling counterfeit and expired medicines and vaccines.

Arif Aslam Rao revealed that the ‘criminals’ used to supply fake drugs to private and government hospitals. He added that a police team raided a flat in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area after being spotted by a detainee Ali Arif where a huge quantity of paediatric vaccines and medicines were recovered.

The counterfeit drugs were being supplied for the treatment of typhoid, tuberculosis (TB), rabies, anti-viral, flu, pneumonia and other diseases, said the police officer.

It is exposed by the police investigators that the criminals used stickers of multinational medicine company for selling the fake drugs. The recovered medicines and vaccines were inspected by a drug officer who has confirmed its expiry and forgery.

Rao added that action will be taken under copyright act against the culprits for using fake stickers of multinational companies to sell the counterfeit and expired medicines. The samples of the medicines were also taken by the drug inspector for laboratory testing, he said.