Officials Seize Counterfeit Medicines Worth Rs 5 Crore in Bidadi Raid

The enforcement wing of the Food Safety and Drug Administration has unearthed a major counterfeit medicine racket operating from Bidadi in Ramanagara district, southwest of Bengaluru, seizing spurious drugs valued at over Rs 5 crore.

Officials conducted a raid on an unlicensed facility that was operating without any valid permits. The unit was allegedly being used to repackage counterfeit drugs and affix labels bearing the names of reputed multinational pharmaceutical companies.

According to officials, the operation involved sourcing fake medicines from illegal manufacturing units across various parts of the country. The repackaged products were then distributed and sold under the branding of established pharmaceutical firms.

Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader described the operation as a major drug racket, noting that the counterfeit medicines were allegedly being supplied to hospitals at prices nearly 50 per cent lower than prevailing market rates. He noted that several of the seized medicines were intended for use in intensive care units.

The accused individual has been handed over to the police, with the Ramanagara Superintendent of Police taking charge of the ongoing investigation. Authorities are currently investigating the entire supply chain, focusing on suppliers who sent the spurious drugs to the Bidadi facility as well as the buyers who purchased them.

Officials indicated the network could extend beyond Karnataka as part of a wider pan-India distribution chain. The Health Department has announced that the individual who provided the tip-off leading to the raid will receive a reward.