India has warned Africa again about Chinese sending fake drugs with Indian labels into the countries there and sought detailed investigations into the rackets. The Commerce Ministry is learnt to have taken up the matter with the African countries through the Indian foreign missions amid reports that the racket of Chinese medicines with `made in India' labels were still rampant in the African markets. India has also alerted more countries in the Latin American region about the possible rackets in the same manner, sources said.
Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania have already assured India of holding detailed investigations into the rackets of selling fake medicines under Indian label in their respective markets, after India made a formal request in this regard. Other leading markets of Indian generics like Ghana, South Africa, Ivory Coast and West Africa were also specially alerted about it. The Ministry has also sent a general alert to all Indian missions abroad about the same.
In June last year, the Nigerian authorities had seized a large consignment of fake anti-malarial generic drugs with `made in India' label and later it was found that they were produced by Chinese companies. India had taken up the matter strongly with the Chinese authorities also.
But as per reports reaching with the Commerce Ministry, the racket was still continuing in the African countries, tarnishing the image of the Indian generics. The Nigerian drug regulatory authority again seized a large consignment of 'ciprotab' tablets, a product from an Indian company. This consignment was also later traced to have originated from a Chinese company, sources said.
On its part, Nigeria which has been the biggest hub for these Chinese counterfeit drugs, has issued warnings to the airlines not to allow passengers with counterfeit drugs to fly into Nigeria. The website of the Nigerian drug authority said ''it is worrisome that all the seizures of fake medicines made in the recent past originated from China and were transported by Qatar Airlines, Emirates Airlines and Lufthansa Airlines in clear violation of NAFDAC's pre-shipment procedures for imported goods.''
India had taken a number of measures including bringing of delegation of Nigerian drug regulators to India to have a look at the quality standards of Indian industry and organised meetings with the domestic industry. Besides, Indian delegations went to African nations to clarify the apprehensions about Indian generics over the last one year.