Illegal pharmaceutical production lab uncovered in Tashkent

As part of a joint operation conducted by officers of the State Security Service in cooperation with customs authorities, a rented house in Tashkent district of Tashkent region was inspected in the presence of witnesses. The property, rented by a resident of Tashkent city, was being used not only for the production of fake pharmaceutical products but also for their illegal distribution.

Inside the secret lab, 594,127 units of 49 different types of medicines — including "Fusys", "Prosulpin", "Ursosan", and "Arbidol" — were discovered. These products lacked proper documentation and safety guarantees. They had been manufactured manually using around 50 pieces of equipment, including machines and molds. Additionally, 168 kilograms of raw pharmaceutical materials that did not meet quality standards, labels, instruction leaflets, cardboard packaging, empty containers, and capsules were seized as material evidence.

A search of the suspect’s residence in Tashkent city’s Uchtepa district, also conducted in the presence of witnesses, revealed another 28,640 units of two types of medicine, 75 ampoules of two varieties, 46 containers with liquid of two types, labels of three different medicines, 18,280 unlabeled suppositories and their packaging, 40 capsules of one kind, various empty medicine boxes, and three metal molds. All of these were collected as evidence.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the organizer of the illegal lab had purchased raw materials needed for medicine production from unidentified individuals online, through special orders.

The total value of the seized counterfeit medicines and equipment is estimated at nearly 10 billion UZS.

The handmade pharmaceutical products had already been distributed to several pharmacies in Tashkent city and Bukhara region. As a result of continued intensive operations, their further sale has been halted.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the lab operator under Article 186-3, Part 3, Paragraph "a" of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, and an investigation is currently underway.

In a related operation conducted in cooperation with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes, a Tashkent resident and his accomplice — an employee of a local bank — were caught red-handed while attempting to sell 574,560 units of infusion system medical supplies (contained in 798 boxes) imported from China, for $55,700.

Following expert evaluation, the items, valued at approximately 1 billion UZS, were deemed unfit for use. Their storage, sale, transportation, and application in medical practice within Uzbekistan are strictly prohibited.

A criminal case has also been opened against these individuals under Article 186-3, Part 3, Paragraph "a" of the Criminal Code, and investigative procedures are ongoing.