2 weeks ago
Bengaluru Officials Bust ₹5 Crore Fake Drug Racket
Officials found a place near Bengaluru where medicines were allegedly repackaged and given false labels.
Some labels were made to look like those of Pfizer and other major companies.
The medicines seized were worth more than ₹5 crore.
Officials said the operation did not have a valid drug licence.
They also said medicines bought for ₹600 to ₹700 were being sold for ₹6,000 to ₹7,000.
The government has created a Special Investigation Team to investigate.
Officials suspect that medicines came from several Indian states and possibly other countries.
They are trying to find shops and patients who may have received the medicines without knowing they were spurious.
Food Safety and Drug Administration officials seized spurious medicines valued at more than ₹5 crore near Bidadi.
The farmhouse contained medicine packets, fresh labels including Pfizer labels, a notching machine and invoices.
Officials said the operation lacked a valid drug licence and allegedly repackaged low-cost medicines for much higher prices.
Health Minister U T Khader ordered a Special Investigation Team probe into possible inter-state and international links.
Police detained a farm worker for questioning and said relabelling had been operating for about five months.
- Who
- The Food Safety and Drug Administration, police, Health Minister U T Khader and people connected to the farmhouse operation.
- What
- Officials busted an alleged spurious-drug manufacturing, repackaging and relabelling racket and seized medicines worth more than ₹5 crore.
- Where
- A leased farmhouse near Bidadi in Bengaluru South District, Karnataka.
- When
- The relabelling operation had reportedly been running for about five months; the article does not specify when the raid occurred.
- Why
- Officials said the medicines were allegedly repackaged and sold with labels of established pharmaceutical companies at much higher prices.
Key facts
- Seized drugs
- Spurious medicines valued at more than ₹5 crore
- Location
- Farmhouse near Bidadi, Bengaluru South District
- Labels found
- Fresh labels, including labels bearing Pfizer's name
- Price difference
- Officials said medicines bought for ₹600–₹700 were sold for ₹6,000–₹7,000
- Licence status
- The establishment was allegedly operating without a valid drug licence
- Investigation
- A Special Investigation Team was ordered to investigate the suspected racket
- Reported sources
- Officials said the drugs were reportedly sourced from Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and other states
Quotes
FSDA Commissioner K Srinivas
Commissioner of Bengaluru's Food Safety and Drug Administration
“Our officers were accompanied by a police team. Labels of all major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer were found. The spurious drugs were sourced for just ₹ 600 to ₹ 700, repacked and sold at ₹ 6000 to ₹ 7000. We are investigating their source and supply chain.”
freepressjournal.in
“The racket had a larger ramification and the government had formed SIT to probe, as it looked like an inter‑state and international racket.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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