Six-member SIT probes Rs 4.91-cr fake drug seizure
Bengaluru: The SIT and the Drugs Control Department raided Krupa Healthcare near Minerva Circle in Bengaluru and arrested pharmacy owner Veeresh Kumar Jain after seizing a large stock of suspected counterfeit medicines. Investigators suspect the network supplied counterfeit cancer drugs, other critical medicines and ICU injections to more than 90 hospitals and clinics in Bengaluru and surrounding areas, allegedly at discounts of around 50 per cent.
That search followed an earlier case in which fake and relabelled drugs were allegedly supplied to hospitals, clinics and medical stores across Bengaluru and potentially beyond Karnataka.
The Karnataka government formed a six-member SIT in August after an unlicensed repacking and relabelling facility near Bidadi in Bengaluru South district yielded suspected spurious medicines worth about Rs. 4.91 crore.
Joint Commissioner of Police (West) C Vamshikrishna heads the team under the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), with Bengaluru SP Shiva Prakash Devaraju, CID SP Lokesh B Jagalasar, Assistant Drug Controllers Manjunath Reddy and Namrata Hallur of Bengaluru South district, and Drug Inspector Neha Murki.
The team is to probe the wider network and related cases at other Karnataka police stations, and to learn how the medicines were sourced, repackaged, relabelled and distributed.
At a farmhouse unit near Bidadi, officers recovered suspected spurious medicines and equipment. They alleged that lower-cost or generic medicines from other states were repacked into new vials and given labels resembling expensive brands. Expired medicines were also recovered.
Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader has sought the Centre’s help over suspected interstate and international dimensions and has said the network may extend beyond Karnataka. He wants origin, transport and the list of receiving hospitals and stores established, and hospitals and ICUs that may have used the products identified, because some items are used in critical care.
Coordinated searches were held at more than 10 locations in Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. More than 15 medical representatives are suspected of helping move or distribute the goods. Prashanth, named as an alleged key operator, is still at large.
Financial records and supply papers are under study. Counterfeit medicines are dangerous because patients and clinicians may believe they are using genuine branded products; the danger is greater for cancer treatment, intensive care and other critical conditions. Officials also fear expired stock was put back into circulation under new labels.
Karnataka, through the Drugs Control Department, is considering comprehensive regulations and special measures against illegal manufacture and distribution, reaching manufacturing and storage sites and the chain of distributors, intermediaries, medical representatives and outlets.
The SIT will continue to work through seized medicines, packaging materials, purchase and sale records and financial transactions, identify others involved and report progress through the senior police hierarchy before filing a final report in the competent court. Arrests have already been made at different stages.
With the Drugs Control Department working beside the police, the state is trying to break the suspected network at several points and to tighten verification before medicines reach hospitals, clinics and patients.