Top News

Setting the record straight amid reports of counterfeit pharmaceutical distribution, Karnataka Health & Family Welfare Minister UT Khader on Monday asserted that the state government itself proactively exposed and dismantled the spurious drug network, describing it as one of the largest enforcement crackdowns against counterfeit medicines in the country.

The Breakthrough and Modus Operandi

Reacting to news reports regarding the supply of counterfeit cancer drugs and essential critical-care injections to nearly 90 hospitals and clinics across Bengaluru, Khader outlined the chronological sequence of enforcement actions and inter-state investigations initiated by the state machinery. The minister revealed that the breakthrough occurred on August 18, when the Department of Health & Family Welfare, along with the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration, conducted a raid on a farmhouse located near the Bidadi Toll Gate, seizing suspected expired and fake medicines valued at approximately ₹5 crore. Detailing the sophisticated modus operandi of the syndicate, Khader said the accused procured cheap bulk formulations from manufacturing hubs in Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, refilled them into new vials at the Bidadi facility, and fraudulently relabelled them as premium imported products of multinational pharmaceutical corporations, intended for intensive care units and serious ailments.

SIT Formed for Inter-State Probe

He further added that an SIT team was formed to lead an inter-state investigation. "We did not wait a single day. On August 19, after a discussion with CM DK Shivakumar & Home Minister Priyank Kharge constituted a six-member SIT headed by a senior IPS officer to lead a major inter-state investigation, with officers of the Food Safety & Drug Administration and Commercial Taxes Departments on the team," Khader stated on X.

Nationwide Alert and Safeguards

Listing the decisive steps undertaken to safeguard public health, the minister confirmed that the full inventory of spurious and counterfeit drugs has been communicated to the Union Government and all state administrations. Furthermore, every hospital, nursing home, and clinical establishment in Karnataka has been directed not to administer any of the seized medicines. Khader added that he addressed a detailed letter on August 19 to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, seeking the immediate intervention and coordination of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and central regulatory authorities to map out the syndicate’s supply chain and halt potential nationwide distribution.

Further Raids and Ongoing Investigation

In subsequent enforcement operations, the SIT and the Drugs Control Department raided Krupa Healthcare near Minerva Circle in Bengaluru, seizing additional batches of suspected counterfeit supplies and arresting the owner of the establishment. "The SIT is now investigating the suspected supply of counterfeit medicines and ICU injections to hospitals and clinics in Bengaluru. The investigation is underway, and I will place the complete findings before the public once it concludes," Khader added.

Stern Warning to Counterfeiters

Issuing a stern warning to counterfeit syndicates operating in the healthcare sector, the minister affirmed that no leniency would be shown to offenders. "We will track down every link in their network, dismantle it brick by brick, and ensure every person responsible faces the harshest punishment under the law. There will be no mercy for anyone who profits from patient's desperation. Karnataka Government will safeguard its patients. That is not just a promise; it is also a warning to every counterfeiter in this country," Khader stated. (ANI)