Rs 4.91 Crore Fake Medicine Racket Busted In Bengaluru — Expired Drugs Repackaged As Pfizer, Sold At 50% Discount

BENGALURU:A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Bengaluru Police and Drugs Control Department has busted a large-scale counterfeit medicine racket that allegedly supplied fake cancer medicines, life-saving drugs and ICU injections to more than 90 hospitals and clinics in Bengaluru.

 On Saturday, the SIT raided Krupa Healthcare near Minerva Circle and arrested its owner Veeresh Kumar Jain. Jain is alleged to be a former business partner of the absconding kingpin Prashanth.

How the racket worked:

Low-cost generic medicines were procured from Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana. Expired medicines were collected, transferred into new vials/containers.

Fake labels of reputed companies including Pfizer were pasted using notching machines and injection-filling equipment.

 Drugs bought for Rs 600-700 were sold for Rs 6000-7000, offered to hospitals at 50% discount.

Chain of raids:

 The network was first exposed on *August 18* when officials raided an unlicensed farmhouse in *Bidadi* and seized counterfeit medicines worth *Rs 4.91 crore*, fake bills and labels. Following that, the Karnataka Govt formed a 6-member SIT headed by Joint CP (West) C Vamshikrishna.

 The latest operation included simultaneous raids at 10 locations in 6 states Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana. Over 15 medical representatives are suspected to be involved in distribution.

 Police are now examining batch numbers, bank transactions and procurement records to trace which hospitals received the fake drugs and how many patients may have been affected. The case is registered at Tavarekere Police Station for drug adulteration, cheating and copyright infringement.

 Health Minister U T Khader called it a possible national / interstate-international racket.

One-Line WhatsApp Version:

 Bengaluru: Fake cancer & ICU drugs racket busted  pharmacy owner Veeresh Kumar Jain held, Rs 5 cr fake medicines seized from Bidadi farmhouse, 90+ hospitals who bought drugs at 50% discount under scanner, SIT raids in 6 states.