Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Officers from the State Security Service, together with the Department for Combating Economic Crimes, have uncovered an underground workshop in Tashkent where counterfeit medicines were being illegally manufactured and distributed through city pharmacies.

During the inspection of premises owned by an LLC specializing in the production of dietary supplements, authorities seized 11 tablet manufacturing machines, 21 molds, nearly 389 kilograms of powders and tablets, as well as a “Raikal” pneumatic weapon and other material evidence.

Additionally, a second facility belonging to the same company was found to house another illicit workshop. There, authorities confiscated capsules, packaging, instructions, molds, manufacturing equipment, and raw powders used to produce drugs.

According to experts from the Pharmaceutical Product Safety Center, the illegal workshops were producing counterfeit versions of Ursosan 250 mg, Neuromidine 20 mg, and Fanigan.

Investigators also determined that the workshop operated on the orders of a pharmacy owner who supplied 130 kilograms of substance for producing counterfeit Fanigan and handled its distribution. During an inspection of his pharmacy, authorities seized 1,067 packages of counterfeit drugs across 15 product names, including Fanigan, Azimac, and Ciprolit, as well as 274 packages of expired medicines of 14 types.

A criminal case has been initiated against the three organizers under Part 2 of Article 186-3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan (“Manufacture, storage, and distribution of counterfeit medicines”). Investigative actions are ongoing.