Indian brothers accused of selling counterfeit cancer drugs appear in U.S. Court

Two brothers from India, accused of running a scheme to sell counterfeit and adulterated prescription drugs in the United States, appeared in federal court Friday following their extradition from Singapore.

Avanish Kumar Jha, 38, and Rajnish Kumar Jha, 35, face 28 felony charges related to the sale of fraudulent medication, including a fake version of the cancer drug Keytruda.

The brothers were arrested in Singapore on April 20, 2023, at the request of U.S. authorities. A Singaporean court approved their extradition in January, and the Minister for Law ordered their surrender to the U.S. on February 24, 2025. Both men pleaded not guilty to the charges and are scheduled for trial on May 5 before U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez.

“The defendants in this case allegedly made hundreds of thousands of dollars while defrauding people who were clinging to hope that a late-stage cancer medication could save their life,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “This fraud scheme didn’t just steal money; it stole the prospect of more time with loved ones for those battling cancer.”

What the brothers are accused of

According to court documents, the investigation into the Jha brothers began in 2019, when U.S. authorities identified online postings and other evidence suggesting that their company, Dhrishti Pharma International, was offering prescription drugs for sale to buyers in the U.S. and other countries.

Undercover agents with the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) placed orders for the drugs, including what was purported to be Keytruda. Testing revealed that the product contained none of the active ingredient found in the authentic Merck-manufactured drug. Other medications supplied by the company were also found to contain contaminants.

Authorities allege that the brothers shipped the counterfeit and adulterated drugs from India, accepting payments via wire transfers, cash transactions, and intermediaries in the United States. The drugs were packaged to evade detection by customs officials and regulatory agencies.

“This case highlights ICE HSI’s commitment to protecting the public from dangerous and fraudulent practices that put vulnerable individuals at risk,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of ICE HSI Seattle, Matthew Murphy. “The company in question preyed on those in desperate need of lifesaving treatments by offering counterfeit medications that provided nothing but false hope. Thanks to the diligent work of our special agents and our law enforcement partners, we are taking swift action to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

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