Fake drugs syndicate men held

THREE men who were part of a syndicate manufacturing counterfeit medication including Grandpa, Disprin, Panado and sexual enhancement drugs were bust at a factory in Springfield

Park this week.

The Overport men – Mohamed Iqbal Sahib, 56, Akmet Khan,

54, and Annapurna Singh,

33 – appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday and were released on bail.

Khan and Singh were released on R1500 bail each while Sahib was granted R5000 bail as he allegedly had been more involved in the operation.

They were arrested on Tuesday after the Hawks narcotics unit, led by detective Basil Dwarika, along with members of the serious and violent crime unit and intelligence officials, swooped on the factory.

The men were charged for possession of counterfeit products and for contravention of the Medicines and Related Substances Control Act.

The accused, through their attorney, Vasthi Williams, mentioned they were just “small fish in a big pond” and were employees at the factory.

The court heard that the kingpins of the operation still needed to be caught.

The accused said they had worked at the factory for a wage of R1 500 a week.

In their affidavits read before court, the men said they were breadwinners in their households and had no previous convictions. Magistrate Mohamed Motala said he took their personal circumstances into account and was not opposed to bail as they had clear records.

“This will give the State time for further investigations, for analysis and to investigate the big fish, and what not,” said Motala.

The men will appear in court again on May 31.