NEW DELHI, June 25 -- India's drug regulator has ordered a nationwide crackdown on smuggled and unapproved medicines, escalating enforcement across borders, logistics hubs and the domestic pharmaceutical supply chain, according to two government officials and a communication to state-level drug controllers, Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) zonal offices, sub-zonal offices and port offices.

The directive, dated 22 June, from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, follows what the officials describe as a rise in illegal entry, distribution and sale of unapproved and unlicensed medicines from neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, through unauthorized channels. It signals a sharper ...