Counterfeit drug manufacturers and sellers arrested in Tashkent (video)

An illegal drug production workshop operating in Tashkent was discovered, and counterfeit medicines made there were being distributed through pharmacies, the State Security Service (SSS) reported.

According to the SSS, the operation was carried out in cooperation with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes. Investigators found that counterfeit medicines were being secretly manufactured in a facility registered under an LLC specializing in biologically active additives and sold through local pharmacies.

During a search of the premises, authorities seized 11 drug production machines, 21 molds used in manufacturing, as well as powders and tablets weighing a total of 389 kilograms. A Raikal pneumatic weapon and other items were also confiscated as evidence.

A second workshop belonging to the same LLC was also identified. From this location, investigators seized additional molds and manufacturing equipment, empty capsules, packaging materials, instruction leaflets, and powdered raw materials.

According to an expert assessment by the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Center for the Safety of Pharmaceutical Products, the counterfeit drugs included “Ursosan 250 mg,” “Neuromidin 20 mg,” and “Fanigan.”

The investigation also targeted a pharmacy involved in selling medicines from the workshop. The pharmacy owner had allegedly ordered the counterfeiting of “Fanigan” and supplied 130 kilograms of raw material for its production. A search of the pharmacy revealed 1,067 boxes of 15 types of counterfeit medicines, including “Fanigan,” “Azimak,” and “Tsiprolet,” as well as 274 boxes of 14 types of expired drugs.

Criminal charges have been filed against three organizers of the illegal operation under Part 2, paragraphs “b” and “d” of Article 186-3 of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code. The charges include the production, sale, and storage of counterfeit or low-quality medicines and violations of regulations on prescription drug sales. Investigative measures are ongoing.

Earlier, authorities dismantled another clandestine workshop in the Tashkent region, where nearly 600,000 counterfeit medicines were being produced. Investigators found 594,127 units of drugs, including “Futsis,” “Prosulpin,” “Ursosan,” and “Arbidol,” manufactured without documentation or safety guarantees. The production relied on 50 tools, including lathes and molds, to assemble the drugs by hand.