A sprawling fake drug racket centred around one of the world's most coveted weight-loss injections has been busted in Gurugram, with authorities seizing spurious Mounjaro Kwikpen injections worth Rs 56 lakh.
Police also arrested two men — one of whom admitted to manufacturing the counterfeit product from his own apartment.
As per the spot memo, acting on a secret tip-off, a team led by Drugs Control Officer Amandeep Chauhan intercepted a Swift Dzire near Super Mart I, Huda City Centre, on Saturday Evening.
The vehicle was being driven by Shahbaz Alam Ansari, an Ola cab driver hired at Lal Quilla gate, while the passenger, Mujammil Khan, identified himself as a medical representative working for Hemped Souls International. Khan informed officials that the consignment belonged to Avi Sharma, a resident of Sohna.
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When the team waited, Sharma arrived at 12:10 AM on Sunday. He was immediately asked to produce a valid licence to stock, sell or distribute the product — and disclosed he had none.
More critically, Sharma admitted he had himself manufactured the product from his residence at Gurugram. Both Mujammil Khan and Avi Sharma were arrested on the spot for violating Sections 18(c) and 17(B) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
The seized stock covered all available strengths — 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg — with a total estimated cost as per MRP of Rs 56,15,847. The drugs were classified as spurious under Section 17B(e) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Physical verification against genuine Eli Lilly labels revealed glaring discrepancies: missing cold-chain storage instructions (2°C–8°C), font size mismatches, incorrect manufacturer details, among other information.
Officials suspect the consignment was routed from Delhi's Bhagirath Palace market, though billing records were generated in Gurugram. Each dose is estimated to cost between Rs 13,000 and Rs 25,000 in the market.
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Investigators noted that demand for Mounjaro had surged sharply in recent months, especially for off-label use in weight loss, creating a parallel illegal market.
An email was forwarded to Eli Lilly India representatives confirming label discrepancies. Investigators are now probing the wider distribution network, with the Delhi supply route firmly on the radar.
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