After blowing the lid off the multi-crore codeine cough syrup racket last year, enforcement agencies in Uttar Pradesh have uncovered what they believe is the state’s next major prescription drug abuse trend — the diversion of habit-forming “blue capsules” from legitimate pharmaceutical channels into the illegal market. Raids over the past fortnight have led to the seizure of narcotic and prescription medicines worth ₹1.37 crore, with investigators now probing an interstate supply chain allegedly feeding the trade, officials said.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) said the seizures made in Lucknow and other districts are only the tip of a larger network. Officials are now tracing the supply chain that allegedly sourced the medicines from outside the state and diverted them through wholesalers and retail outlets.
According to FSDA officer (Lucknow division) Brijesh Kumar Yadav, the recovered capsules were supplied through retail channels after being brought into the city from outside. “Our investigation is not limited to seizures. We are tracking the entire distribution network to identify everyone involved in the supply chain,” he said.
The crackdown has brought medicines such as Spasmo Proxyvon, Pregabalin, Gabapentin and Tramadol under scrutiny. While all have legitimate therapeutic uses, medical experts warn that they carry a high risk of dependence and abuse when consumed without medical supervision.
Medical experts said Pregabalin and Gabapentin are prescribed for neuropathic pain and epilepsy, while Tramadol is an opioid analgesic used for moderate to severe pain. Spasmo Proxyvon, once commonly prescribed for abdominal pain, has largely disappeared from routine medical practice because of concerns over addiction and misuse. Many doctors have stopped prescribing it altogether.
{{/usCountry}}Medical experts said Pregabalin and Gabapentin are prescribed for neuropathic pain and epilepsy, while Tramadol is an opioid analgesic used for moderate to severe pain. Spasmo Proxyvon, once commonly prescribed for abdominal pain, has largely disappeared from routine medical practice because of concerns over addiction and misuse. Many doctors have stopped prescribing it altogether.
{{/usCountry}}In May this year, the Union health ministry shifted Pregabalin to the stricter Schedule H1 category under the Drugs Rules following reports of increasing abuse, particularly among young people. The revised rules require the drug to be sold only against a valid prescription, with pharmacies maintaining detailed records of every sale to prevent diversion into the illegal market.
Officials and doctors attribute the growing misuse of these medicines to several factors. They are inexpensive, easy to conceal, do not emit the smell associated with alcohol and can often escape the attention of family members and law enforcement. Their misuse can produce sedation, euphoria and intoxication-like effects, making them increasingly popular among substance abusers.
The investigation began on July 8 and 9, when FSDA drug inspectors Sandesh Maurya and Vivek Kumar Singh, along with Lucknow police, raided an illegal warehouse in Aminabad. Officials recovered thousands of strips and cartons of allopathic medicines allegedly stocked without a valid licence. During the inspection, they noticed spelling mistakes and printing defects on labels carrying the names of several well-known pharmaceutical brands, raising suspicion that the products were counterfeit.
Subsequent raids in Lucknow, BKT and Gonda led to the seizure of suspected medicines worth more than ₹1.37 crore. Investigators allege the racket involved counterfeit branding, unauthorised warehouses and the illegal distribution of prescription and narcotic medicines, with links extending from Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh. The operation has so far resulted in action against eight accused, one arrest and multiple criminal cases.
FSDA commissioner Roshan Jacob said the department would continue statewide raids against counterfeit medicines and the sale of habit-forming drugs without valid prescriptions.
5 booked over counterfeit drug syndicate
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has claimed to have unearthed an organised counterfeit drug syndicate that allegedly used fake billing, cross-invoicing and fabricated financial transactions to push spurious medicines into the market. Acting on evidence gathered during a statewide investigation, the department has lodged an FIR against five accused in Lucknow as part of its crackdown, officials said.
The FIR was lodged at Aminabad police station by drug inspector Nitin Kumar Singh under sections 111, 276, 277, 278, 318, 319, 336 and 338 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Wednesday.
According to Singh, the probe found that the accused firms had generated a web of cross-billing despite there being no actual movement of medicines between them.
Officials found that one firm had shown large-scale purchases of medicines from other companies. However, a physical inspection of its premises found no medicine stock. The registered proprietors said that they were not managing the businesses and alleged that the firms were being operated by someone else without their knowledge.
A key piece of evidence cited by the department relates to the antibiotic Augmentin Duo 625. Investigators found that two firms had shown purchases of the medicine from another company at ₹56.60, significantly lower than its actual landing cost of ₹116.70. The company, however, denied making any such sale, leading investigators to suspect that the invoices were used to legitimise the circulation of counterfeit medicines.
This is the fifth FIR registered by the department in July as part of its special drive against counterfeit medicines.