18 arrests in Bangladesh over falsified medicines

Police in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka have arrested 18 people on suspicion of involvement in a large-scale operation to produce and sell falsified medicines.

The arrests were made last week and included individuals working for various companies involved in the medicines supply chain, including SB Corporation, Lazz Pharma, Al-Madina Pharma, Islamia Pharma, and Tamanna Pharma, according to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.

A huge amount of counterfeit medicines was seized during the operation, according to Deputy Commissioner Mashiur Rahman of Bangladesh’s Detective Branch. Most of the counterfeits were copies of drugs that are imported from the US and Canada.

This week, seven staff at one of the companies – pharmacy chain Lazz Pharma – were collectively fined Tk 29 lakh (around $35,000) for selling 76 types of illegal, expired and substandard medicines.