Fake cancer drugs supplied to more than 90 Bengaluru hospitals, pharmacy owner arrested

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Bengaluru police and the Drugs Control Department have uncovered a suspected large-scale counterfeit medicine racket in Bengaluru. The police said on Saturday that they have arrested the owner of a pharmacy, Veeresh Kumar Jain, allegedly involved in supplying suspected fake medicines to hospitals and clinics in the city as part of the probe.

Acting on leads from an earlier case, the SIT and Drugs Control Department had raided Krupa Healthcare near Minerva Circle and seized a large stock of suspected counterfeit medicines. Investigators suspect the network supplied counterfeit cancer drugs, other life-saving medicines and ICU injections to more than 90 hospitals and clinics in Bengaluru, allegedly offering them at discounts of around 50 per cent.

According to the probe, low-cost medicines were allegedly rebranded and sold under different names, while expired medicines were allegedly repackaged in new containers with counterfeit labels, including labels resembling those of reputed pharmaceutical companies.

The pharmacy in Minerva Circle is suspected to have been used as a storage point before the medicines were distributed to medical shops, hospitals and clinics. The investigation has also indicated that the racket may have extended beyond Karnataka.

A network of more than 15 medical representatives is suspected to have facilitated the movement of medicines. Vamsi Krishna, Joint Commissioner of Police (West) and head of the SIT, said investigators were yet to ascertain the full extent of the suspected interstate distribution network, including the destinations of the medicines and the value of the transactions.

“We have seized bank transaction records, purchase and sale vouchers, and other documents. These are being collated to establish the flow of medicines as well as money,” he said. The police said that Veeresh Kumar is suspected to have been operating the firm for about five years and is alleged to have links with Prashant, described by investigators as a key accused and alleged kingpin of the network.

Prashant is absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him. Veeresh Kumar is currently the only person arrested in the case. The case originated with a raid at a farmhouse in the Bidadi and Dodderi areas of the Bengaluru South district on August 18, during which authorities seized suspected counterfeit medicines worth around Rs 5 crore, along with fake bills, injection-filling equipment and counterfeit labels.

The seizure prompted the SIT to widen the investigation. Coordinated searches were subsequently conducted at more than 10 locations in multiple states, including Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Investigators, working backwards from the Bengaluru South case, allegedly traced the supply chain to Krupa Healthcare and Veeresh Kumar.