Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader has said that the probe into a major interstate counterfeit drug counterfeit drug racket has led to the arrest of the owner of a healthcare firm here with investigators now looking into the suspected supply of fake medicines and ICU injections to hospitals and clinics.

He said that it was the Karnataka Government that busted this fake drug racket, one of the biggest crackdowns of its kind in the entire country.
Sharing a news report on his social media platform 'X', Khader recalled that on August 18, the state's Health & Family Welfare Department and the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration raided a farmhouse near the Bidadi Toll Gate and seized suspected fake and expired medicines worth nearly Rs 5 crore.

He said that its preliminary investigation has revealed a "deeply concerning" modus operandi with interstate ramifications.

According to him, this network was procuring cheap bulk drugs from manufacturing hubs in Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, refilling them into new vials at the Bidadi facility, and relabelling them as premium imported brands of multinational companies, including a top brand, whose counterfeit drugs meant for patients and ICU wards.

"We did not wait a single day. On August 19, After discussion with Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and 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 said.

Also Read: Delhi Police Bust Rs 2 Crore Fake Drug Racket, 6 Arrested; Rs 50 Crore GST Fraud Network Exposed

He said that the full list of spurious and counterfeit drugs has been communicated to the Union government and all states.
The minister said that every hospital and nursing home in Karnataka has been directed not to use the seized medicines.

He also recalled that he has written in detail to Union Health Minister JP Nadda seeking the support of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and central regulatory agencies to map this network's supply chain and stop nationwide distribution.
Khader said that 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. We will track down every link in their network, dismantle it brick by brick and ensure every person responsible faces the harshest punishment under law," he said, adding that there would be no mercy for anyone who profits from patient's desperation.

He assured that Karnataka Government will safeguard its patients. "That is not just a promise. It is also warning to every counterfeiter in this country," Khader added.

Also Read: Himachal Pharma Firm Partner Arrested for Fake Levocetirizine, Pregabalin Production

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Article Source : PTI

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sheeba farhat

Sheeba Farhat Joined Medical Dialogues in 2018 to report on the latest Education news. A Graduate of the University of Delhi, she specializes in covering stories related to Medical Education updates. For inquiries or further information, you can reach her at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.

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