Islamabad: Authorities have uncovered a clandestine drug manufacturing unit in Karachi’s Malir area where counterfeit Panadol, high-dose opioids and fake “Indian brands” of multiple medicines were being produced in unhygienic conditions, seizing large quantities of raw material, packaging and finished products, officials said on Thursday.
The raid, carried out jointly by the provincial drug administration of Sindh, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), targeted a house in Memon Goth that had been converted into an illegal manufacturing facility. One suspect, identified as Danish, was arrested and handed over to the FIA for further investigation.
Officials said the unit was producing a wide range of counterfeit and unregistered medicines, including Panadol, Phenobarbital, Diazepam and other essential drugs. The operation also revealed the manufacture of banned high-strength formulations of Tramadol tablets in 225mg and 250mg doses, which are not permitted due to their high abuse potential.
In addition, officials recovered counterfeit versions of erectile dysfunction drugs based on Sildenafil, commonly marketed as Viagra, along with fake “Indian brands” of painkillers and other unregistered pharmaceutical products. Packaging material falsely indicating Indian manufacturing sites was also seized, suggesting an attempt to pass off locally produced drugs as imported brands.
“They were also manufacturing antibiotics including Amoxicillin-based products such as Augmentin and Amoxil, as well as iron supplements and multivitamins,” said Khurshid Ali, a provincial drug inspector in Sindh. “Controlled medicines like Alprazolam were being produced in extremely filthy conditions, posing serious risks to public health.”
According to officials, hundreds of kilograms of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) were recovered from the site, indicating large-scale production capacity. These included raw materials for painkillers, sedatives, antipsychotic drugs and medicines used for erectile dysfunction.
“Initial evidence suggests these drugs were being manufactured here and then smuggled abroad, but the full scope of the operation will become clear after a detailed investigation,” Khurshid Ali said.
Investigators suspect that the counterfeit products, especially high-dose tramadol and alprazolam, were destined for international markets. Officials said such drugs are frequently trafficked to African countries, including Nigeria, while benzodiazepines like alprazolam are often smuggled to the Middle East, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The bust comes against the backdrop of repeated seizures of controlled medicines at Karachi’s seaport, where authorities have confiscated millions of tablets and capsules of high-dose tramadol and other psychotropic substances in recent years. Despite these large-scale recoveries, officials acknowledge that enforcement has largely failed to identify and prosecute the networks behind the import of raw materials and the manufacturing and export of such drugs.
The latest raid has again exposed gaps in regulatory oversight and law enforcement, particularly in tracking the supply chains of APIs and dismantling organised groups involved in the production and smuggling of counterfeit and controlled medicines.
Officials said further investigations by the FIA, in coordination with DRAP and provincial authorities, are underway to identify the wider network involved in the operation, including suppliers, distributors and potential international links.
They added that stricter monitoring of pharmaceutical raw materials, enhanced coordination between regulatory and law enforcement agencies, and stronger penalties would be essential to curb the growing menace of counterfeit and smuggled medicines originating from Pakistan.
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