Bengaluru, The Drug Enforcement Wing of the FDA has seized spurious drugs worth over ₹ 4.91 crore during an inspection drive that allegedly uncovered an unlicensed pharmaceutical repacking and relabelling operation, officials said on Wednesday.
“A police complaint has been lodged with the Tavarekere Police Station. Law enforcement and regulatory officials are working together to complete the investigation and initiate prosecution against the responsible parties,” the department added. The inspection was carried out by a team of officers from the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration department following a tip-off on August 18 regarding a facility located at a farmhouse in Kurubarakerana Halli, Bidadi, Bengaluru South district, they said.
The investigation revealed that the premises were being used to procure lower-cost medications from other states, which were then allegedly filled into new vials and relabelled to mimic expensive multinational corporation brands and imported drugs, according to officials. Penalties range from a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment to life imprisonment. The preliminary investigation identified several critical violations, including the operation being in direct violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, specifically concerning the manufacture, storage, and distribution of drugs without a licence, officials said.
The seized stock will be produced before a local court in Bengaluru South, they said.
