Expired chemicals seized in fake drug bust

82 drums of toxic chemicals meant for use in Punjab's pharma sector seized; four suspects held

KARACHI:

A major attempt to manufacture counterfeit and harmful medicines using expired chemicals was foiled on Thursday. Bin Qasim Police has arrested four suspects and seized dozens of drums and sacks filled with hazardous substances from a truck. The chemicals were reportedly being transported to Punjab, where they were intended for use in the production of new pharmaceutical products.

According to the Malir District Police spokesperson, the arrested individuals — Shakeel, Ameer, Saif ur Rehman, Mir Alam Nizam Bostan, and Hussain Shaukat — were part of a network that stole expired raw materials from pharmaceutical companies. These materials were then repackaged with new expiry dates and sold to smaller pharmaceutical manufacturers, posing a severe threat to public health.

SHO Bin Qasim Faisal Rafiq told The Express Tribune that the arrests were made following a tip-off from an intelligence source. Police intercepted a truck loaded with chemical drums and sacks and discovered that the material, which is used in medicine production, had expired and become toxic.

In total, 82 drums and 21 sacks of expired chemicals were recovered. SHO Rafiq explained that well-known pharmaceutical companies import raw chemical materials for drug production. Once expired, these chemicals must be disposed of through specialised incineration processes, as per standard operating procedures (SOPs).

However, the accused network reportedly colluded with disposal companies to divert these chemicals. Shakeel, one of the arrested individuals, was a supervisor at a chemical disposal company and is believed to have played a key role in facilitating the theft. The chemicals were then sold to smaller pharmaceutical units in Punjab, where counterfeit drugs were manufactured using the expired substances and repackaged with falsified expiry dates.

"This is a dangerous crime," Rafiq emphasised. "Once expired, these chemicals effectively turn into poison and must be destroyed in specially designed incinerators. Using them to make medicines is like selling death in the name of treatment."

The SHO urged the relevant regulatory and health authorities to take strict notice of the matter and interrogate the arrested suspects further to identify the pharmaceutical companies involved. He called for legal action against all those endangering human lives through the sale and distribution of toxic, counterfeit medicines.