Fake drug racket busted near Bidadi; medicines worth ₹5 crore seized

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.

The officials are examining the seized medicines and material recovered from the premises. Further investigation is expected to establish the source of the drugs, the extent of the operation and the distribution network, if any.

The raid comes at a time when the State is stepping up surveillance of the pharmaceutical supply chain along with its wider enforcement against violations in food and drug safety.

Enforcement widened

The FSDA has in recent weeks intensified inspections across different sections of food establishments. In the food safety drive, inspections have moved beyond roadside eateries to three- and five-star hotels, international food chains, government canteens, Indira Canteens and warehouses supplying quick-commerce platforms.

Officials have reported violations ranging from expired food, rotten meat and vegetables and mislabelling to unhygienic storage and improper handling of used cooking oil. The wider inspections are aimed at ensuring that safety standards are maintained across the supply chain and not only at the point of sale.

The Enforcement Wing has similarly been strengthening surveillance of pharmacies and drug distribution channels.

Consumers to get easier reporting mechanism

The State has also sought to involve consumers more directly in reporting food and drug safety violations. Pharmacies, restaurants and other food establishments are to display QR codes through which consumers can lodge complaints relating to food and drug safety.

The move assumes significance in the context of counterfeit and substandard medicines, where consumers may not be able to determine the authenticity of a product merely from its packaging.