Lucknow: An Ayurvedic medicine racket was busted in Ambedkarnagar district after a joint raid by the district administration, police and the regional ayurvedic & unani department uncovered a suspected illegal packaging and distribution unit operating from a village house.One person has been arrested, while police have booked three others and launched a probe into a supply network spanning multiple districts.The crackdown followed a complaint by Delhi-based Yogiraj Ayurvedic Medicine Company, which alleged that fake medicines bearing its brand name were being manufactured, packed and sold in the market. Acting on the complaint, a joint team led by SDM Jalalpur Madhumita Singh, police officials and Ayurvedic department officers raided a house in Goprichandpur village under Jaitpur police station limits.During the search, officials recovered a huge cache of packaging material, stickers, holograms, containers and unlabelled tablets allegedly used to market counterfeit medicines under the names of reputed Ayurvedic firms. Among the seized items were over 27,900 stickers of New Ortho Power K, nearly 58,700 MRP stickers of Yogiraj, labels of Yogiraj Gout Vati, promotional material, packaging polythene and a heat-shrink machine allegedly used for sealing products.Investigators also found medicines and packaging material linked to other companies, including Shri Shyam Ayurved Bhawan of Gorakhpur.Based on a complaint filed by regional ayurvedic and unani officer Ranjit Kumar, police registered an FIR against Shivam Pandey, his alleged associates Shiv Chaturvedi, Uttam Chaturvedi and Harilal Pandey. Shivam, identified as the operator of the unit and owner of the premises, was arrested.Shivam told investigators that the material was supplied from Azamgarh. Acting on the lead, administrative teams conducted raids in Ahraula and Maharajganj areas of Azamgarh and reportedly recovered more medicines and packaging material. Preliminary investigations suggest the network supplied products across Ambedkarnagar, Azamgarh, Sultanpur, Gorakhpur and Jaunpur. Police are now tracing the entire supply chain, examining an e-rickshaw allegedly used for transportation.
