Dehradun, July 31 -- In a breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on the counterfeit drug racket, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has arrested another key member of the gang involved in manufacturing and selling fake life-saving medicines. The latest arrest was made from Zirakpur in Punjab, where the owner of a medical store was taken into custody, said police. Senior Superintendent of Police ( STF) Navneet Singh Bhullar said on Wednesday that the accused, identified as Pankaj Sharma, was nabbed on Tuesday from the Dhakoli area in Zirakpur following sustained investigation and manual surveillance by STF personnel. "He is accused of being a key distributor of counterfeit medicines sourced from Rajasthan and sold across various states, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Bhullar said Sharma, the proprietor of Noble Pharmacy/Life Science, used ambulances to smuggle fake medicines to evade detection. "The ambulance, bearing registration number CH 01T 3977, was used to transport spurious medicines to cities like Noida, Bhiwadi, and Delhi under the guise of medical emergencies," said Bhullar. "So far, five people have been arrested in the case, including the alleged mastermind. The STF had earlier apprehended Santosh Kumar on June 1 with a large consignment of counterfeit wrappers, outer boxes, QR codes, and labels mimicking reputed pharmaceutical brands. The case was transferred to STF owing to its serious implications on public health and national revenue", he said. He said subsequently they arrested Naveen Bansal, Aditya Kala, and Devi Dayal Gupta. "During interrogation, Bansal disclosed that he supplied counterfeit medicines to Pankaj Sharma, who not only sold them at his own pharmacies in Panchkula but also distributed them to other states", he said. Bhullar said Sharma made hefty profits by avoiding taxes and compromising public health. "Investigations are underway to trace the wider network and identify other individuals or companies involved in the fake drug racket", he said. He said Director General of Police Deepam Seth had earlier instructed the STF to intensify action against gangs involved in manufacturing and distributing counterfeit medicines. "The sale of fake life-saving drugs poses a grave threat to public health. We are committed to dismantling the entire network," he added He said efforts are on to ascertain Sharma's criminal history in other states and further arrests are likely....