U.S. says two Indian nationals indicted in counterfeit Ozempic smuggling scheme
Two Indian nationals have been indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury for smuggling and selling counterfeit Ozempic weight-loss drugs. The defendants allegedly sourced the fake medication from China and distributed it to U.S. markets despite FDA warnings.
Why it matters
This case highlights the growing global public health risk posed by the illicit trade of counterfeit pharmaceuticals and international drug trafficking.
A U.S. federal grand jury has indicted two Indian nationals for allegedly smuggling and selling counterfeit Ozempic, the weight-loss drug, the Department of Justice said on Tuesday (September 29, 2026). One of the defendants, Swapnadip Roy, pleaded not guilty after being extradited from Italy , while the other, Vicky Ramancha, remains at large, the department said.
Between July 2023 and April 2024, Mr. Roy and Mr. Ramancha allegedly obtained counterfeit Ozempic in China and sold it to U.S. distributors at discounted prices, it said.
A legal representative for Mr. Roy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One for Mr. Ramancha was not immediately available.
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