A major counterfeit pharmaceutical operation has been uncovered near Bengaluru in Karnataka, following a targeted raid by the Karnataka Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FDA). On August 18, the Drug Enforcement Wing executed a search on an illegal pharmaceutical repacking and relabeling facility operating out of a farmhouse. Officials seized counterfeit medicines, expired drugs, and specialized machinery valued at Rs 4,91,49,575 while shutting down the unlicensed premises.
Modus Operandi: Cheap and Expired Drugs Relabeled as Premium Brands
The illegal operation was being conducted from Farmhouse No. 34, located at Kurubakerenhalli in Bidadi. According to enforcement officials, the operators procured low-cost drugs from other states and transferred the liquids into new vials. These containers were then relabeled with high-value brand names belonging to prominent multinational pharmaceutical companies and imported labels, including the alleged unauthorized use of the Pfizer brand name. Inspections revealed that barcode scanning markers on the fraudulent packaging were fake and non-functional. The facility was also storing and repacking expired medications to sell them at premium market prices.
Comprehensive Inventory of Seized Injections and Machinery
During the raid, enforcement officers confiscated a substantial supply of high-end antibiotic and critical care injections alongside industrial packing equipment. The breakdown of confiscated goods includes
- Cefiavigent 2.5 Injection: 5,640 vials
- Hizlam Injectables: 1,531 vials
- Xavitaz: 470 vials
- EMBLAVEO: 264 vials
- Zavicefta: 165 vials
- Additional Injections: Consignments of Tigynt IV, Tigvnet, Aztreo, and Trezam
- Equipment & Stock: 30 boxes of expired medicines, injection filling machinery, counterfeit branding stamps, blank packaging materials, and printed labels
Strict Legal Action Under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940
The FDA emphasized that distributing fake or expired medical products poses an immediate threat to patient safety, treatment efficacy, and sterility standards. The unauthorized manufacture, storage, repacking, and distribution of medical substances violate the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Violations under these sections carry legal penalties ranging from a minimum of 10 years imprisonment to potential life sentences.
To protect public safety and prevent the illicit stock from entering the commercial supply chain, the Karnataka FDA blocked all associated batch numbers and inventory logs on its digital portal. Representative samples of the confiscated medications have been dispatched to government laboratories for rigorous chemical analysis, sterility assessment, and potency testing.
Property Ownership and Suspect Roles
Investigative details indicate that the farmhouse property is owned by an individual named Siddayya, who had leased the premises to Prashanth. Prashanth subsequently assigned the management and maintenance of the site to his relative, Tejas. During the inspection, enforcement officers caught Prabhu Deva Gowda at the location handling the counterfeit stocks and packaging supplies. Prabhu Deva Gowda was arrested on the spot, and law enforcement agencies are tracking down the remaining individuals linked to the syndicate.
