Customs officers seize $1 million worth of fake medicine in Fergana Valley
Customs officers in the Fergana Valley have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against counterfeit medicines, uncovering a cache worth over 1 billion UZS during a recent inspection. This operation exposed a complex scheme of falsifying drugs that involved multiple locations and suspects.
The investigation began with the discovery of counterfeit medicines in a Lacetti car, leading authorities to conduct a raid on a residence in Kokand and a local pharmacy suspected of selling fake drugs. In the suspect’s house, officers found over 1,000 fake medications with a value of 128 million UZS, along with materials for producing thousands more counterfeit drugs. In total, 42,215 fake drugs valued at 504 million UZS were seized during the search.
The operation expanded to Fergana, where another individual involved in the counterfeit drug trade was apprehended. This accomplice was responsible for manufacturing packaging, labels, and instructions for the fake products, with materials sourced from an associate in Namangan. Further investigation revealed a scheme of relabeling inexpensive medications as more expensive drugs, including popular drugs like “Paracetamol” being passed off as “Mildronate” and “Actovegin.”
During the raid, officers also found expired drugs, along with packaging materials and instructions for producing counterfeit versions of the same drug. In total, 46,246 counterfeit medications worth 1 billion UZS were seized, and an official investigation has been launched with the suspects detained.
This discovery has dealt a blow to the counterfeit drug trade in the region and highlights the ongoing efforts of authorities to protect public health and safety from the dangers of fake medicines.
