Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) Detective Branch of Gulshan zone on Monday arrested five people, including a woman, in connection with manufacturing counterfeit drugs under a US-China brand.
The arrestees are Lubna Akhter, Anwar Kazi, Ram Chandra Basak, SM Tajmul Tariq and Kanak Kumar Shaha.
Acting on secret tips, the DB ran a series of raids at the capital's Hatirpul, Rampura and Malibagh area today, said a media release.
During the raids huge numbers of various unlicensed tablets and capsules made in unauthorized factories of Narayanganj’s Jalakuri were recovered from the arrestees.
READ: Expired medicines worth Tk 30 cr destroyed in 11 months; DGDA submits report to HC
During the preliminary interrogation, the arrestees confessed collecting plastic bottles, caps and silicone from the Chawkbazar-Midford area and printing colourful English stickers and labels from local press services, before they could send the drugs to market.
The preliminary inquiries also revealed that some doctors were prescribing those counterfeit and adulterated drugs to patients.
A syndicate of wholesalers in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Cox's Bazar, Manikganj used to market those using college-going girls, the media release also said.
During the raids counterfeit drugs and medicine including Motive Xtra and J- Plus, labeled as Made in USA and Desire S Aksim Lab Bangladesh were recovered.
The team also recovered Issy R Omega3, Cibacal D, Neogel MaxTM, NeixitTM, OrcalTM, OrkidTM, ImpaleTM and Procare Probiotic4, labeled as made in Guangzhou, China.
READ: Expired medicines recovered from septic tank
Legal action was being taken against the arrestees and efforts were being made to arrest the members of the syndicate.