Fake drug racket busted near Bidadi; medicines worth ₹5 crore seized
Authorities in Karnataka have busted an unlicensed manufacturing unit near Bidadi that was producing and repackaging counterfeit medicines. The raid resulted in the seizure of spurious drugs valued at approximately ₹5 crore that were being labeled as products from major multinational pharmaceutical companies.
Why it matters
The discovery highlights significant risks to public health and the integrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain, prompting increased government surveillance of drug safety.
The Enforcement Wing of Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) Department on Tuesday unearthed an alleged racket involved in the manufacture, repackaging and labelling of spurious medicines in the names of prominent multinational pharmaceutical companies at an unlicensed unit near Hejjala, close to Bidadi in Ramanagara district.
Acting on information, enforcement officers raided the premises near the Bidadi toll gate and found medicines being repacked and labelled under the names of established multinational companies. The total value of the drugs seized has been estimated at around ₹5 crore, Health Minister U.T. Khader told The Hindu .
He said the unit did not possess a valid licence for manufacturing medicines. The operation has raised concerns over the possibility of counterfeit medicines entering the pharmaceutical supply chain with labels designed to make them appear to be products of reputed companies, he said, adding that more details would be available on Wednesday.
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