Cancer drug racket accused | Hospital employees, traders, middlemen: Inside the ‘medicine syndicate’

“A resident of Laxmi Nagar, he was allegedly procuring anti-cancer medicines through unauthorised channels and supplying them further since 2022. Registers, diaries, electronic devices, packaging material, medicines and Rs 4 lakh were recovered from his premises,” DCP (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam said.

Over the next 18 days — between July 13 and 31 — 16 more were arrested.

Shubham Kumar Chaudhary allegedly bought and sold anti-cancer medicines for cash without valid invoices, while his younger brother, Suraj Chaudhary, allegedly helped him with the supply chain. The brothers were allegedly working together since 2024.

Gagan, a wholesale medicine trader from Indirapuram, allegedly procured anti-cancer injections from Satish Kumar and supplied them to Vaishya. Satish, who had worked at a medical store for about a decade, allegedly acted as an intermediary between Gagan and Mukesh, based in Gurgaon.

Mukesh allegedly procured anti-cancer medicines from hospitals and supplied them to pharmacists and brokers. Police recovered 12 vials, other medicines, packaging material and Rs 16.5 lakh from his vehicle.

Interstate links

The alleged trail then travelled to Navi Mumbai. Ayush Kumar allegedly procured medicines from Gagan and supplied them through a medicine-related firm run with his brother. Police said vials were found in his possession without proper invoices or a licence.

Vishwas Tyagi, who runs a proprietorship firm dealing in medicines, allegedly facilitated invoices despite there being no corresponding physical supply of medicines. Police alleged that transaction amounts were routed through his firm’s banking channel.

In Haryana, Paramjeet Sheoran, a BPharm-qualified medical store owner, allegedly handled downstream distribution. Nine vials were recovered from his store, said police.

The largest haul was allegedly linked to Anand Kumar, a Noida-based intermediary who had earlier been associated with a pharmaceutical firm in Dhanbad. Police recovered 337 anti-cancer vials and other medicines from his possession and premises. The vials were allegedly stored at his residence.

Following this, the probe moved to Hyderabad. Srinivasulu Kalva, a medical store owner, allegedly received anti-cancer drugs from a hospital and supplied them further. Police recovered 23 suspected counterfeit anti-cancer medicines.

Hospital employees

Police said two former and current hospital employees provided another route into the network. Ramdas Satish Kumar, a former employee of a reputed hospital, allegedly misappropriated medicines meant for patients and acted as an intermediary. Malugari Srinath Reddy, a BPharm-qualified employee of another reputed hospital, allegedly diverted medicines meant for patients and supplied them to other members of the network.

In Gurgaon, Mayank Garg, who has been running a pharmaceutical firm since 2014, allegedly procured anti-cancer medicines from reputed hospitals via the co-accused and hospital employees before circulating them through the network. Fifty-five suspected anti-cancer vials were found on him.

The investigation also reached hospital staffers.

Jaswant Sharma, a nursing in-charge in an oncology department of a reputed hospital, allegedly removed anti-cancer vials from a hospital for further supply. Deepak alias Ravi, a dental technician in Faridabadwho had worked as a personal assistant to an oncologist, allegedly received the vials from Jaswant. Police recovered 108 vials and Rs 6.5 lakh from Deepak’s residence.

The final link, police said, was Manish Sharma, a nursing-qualified employee who had recently joined a hospital. He allegedly misappropriated anti-cancer injections meant for patients. His arrest led to the recovery of five filled and four empty vials.

Police said they are examining cash payments, bank transactions and properties allegedly bought with proceeds from the crime, while also trying to identify others who may have been part of the alleged network.