Bareilly (UP), Oct 6 (PTI) Police have busted an alleged gang operating a fake call centre in Bareilly to sell counterfeit sexual enhancement drugs online and arrested two people, officials said on Tuesday.
The gang members allegedly posed as doctors and traditional medicine practitioners to sell the drugs. One accused is absconding and efforts are on to arrest him, police said.
Bareilly Superintendent of Police (City) Manush Parik said, “The gang used technology and social media to sell the drugs, potentially putting people’s health at risk.”
“Police are examining the bank accounts and financial transactions of the accused and gathering information about other members and suppliers,” he said.
Superintendent of Police Shivam Ashutosh said the gang took orders online and supplied the alleged counterfeit drugs through parcels. Teams have been deployed to arrest the absconding accused, he added.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house in Rajiv Enclave Colony, where they found computer systems, mobile phones and drug-packing material. One person was allegedly handling customer data on a computer, while another was filling powder into empty capsules and packing them into containers, police said.
The arrested accused were identified as Sameeruddin, 24, and Yusuf, 25.
Yusuf’s brother Iliyas Khan fled from the spot, police said.
During questioning, the accused allegedly told police that they bought cheap powder and raw material from open markets in Saharanpur and Moradabad. They advertised the products on Instagram using a fake identity called “Herbal and Jari Booti” and claimed to be senior traditional medicine practitioners and doctors who could cure male sexual weakness.
Police said Sameeruddin, who studied up to Class 8, posed as a doctor while speaking to customers and took orders through the call centre. Customers were asked to pay Rs 250 to Rs 300 or more through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), directly into bank accounts, police said.
The gang had also prepared a fake manufacturing licence to avoid action, police said. It also operated a shop in Devchandniya. The gang had allegedly been active for about a year and supplied the counterfeit drugs through parcels across the country.
Police seized six computers, eight monitors, a laptop, three printers, a scanner, 12 mobile phones, 85 packets of the alleged counterfeit drugs, packing material, a fake licence, six cheque books, 14 automated teller machine (ATM) cards and Rs 1.99 lakh in cash.
A case has been registered under relevant sections and the arrested accused are being sent to jail, police said. Raids are being conducted to trace Iliyas Khan. PTI COR KIS
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