SIT Raids Bengaluru Facility, Seizes Counterfeit Medicines; One Arrested
Police and drug inspectors raided Krupa Healthcare near Minerva Circle, seizing suspected counterfeit medicines and arresting owner Veeresh Kumar Jain.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police, working alongside drug inspectors, raided a private facility in Bengaluru on Saturday and seized a large stock of suspected counterfeit medicines. The operation at Krupa Healthcare, located near Minerva Circle, was part of simultaneous raids at ten locations spread across six states — Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
The owner of the facility, Veeresh Kumar Jain, has been arrested in connection with the case. Investigators describe him as a former business partner of Prashanth, the alleged kingpin of the racket, who remains absconding. Jain is said to have run his firm for the last five years and to have maintained close links with Prashanth, identified as a key accused in the network.
According to investigators, the seized medicines may have reached more than 90 hospitals and clinics in Bengaluru. The team is examining batch numbers and records to identify every establishment that received the suspected counterfeit drugs. "We have seized documents pertaining to procurement and distribution which is being verified," a senior officer supervising the operation said.
How the network allegedly worked
Investigators suspect that low-cost medicines were rebranded and sold under different brand names. Expired drugs were allegedly collected, moved into new containers and repackaged with counterfeit labels and packaging material. Medicines linked to reputed pharmaceutical companies were also allegedly given fake labels before distribution.
The stock was reportedly stored at the Minerva Circle warehouse before being supplied to hospitals, clinics and medical shops across Bengaluru and surrounding areas. Supplies were allegedly made to hospitals at discounts of around 50 per cent. A network of more than 15 medical representatives is suspected to have been involved in distributing the medicines to hospitals and pharmacies.
Among the drugs suspected to be counterfeit are cancer medicines, life-saving drugs and injections used in intensive care units.
Origin of the probe
The racket came to light during a raid on a farmhouse in Bidadi on August 18. Authorities seized suspected counterfeit medicines worth approximately ₹4.91 crore, along with fake bills, injection-filling equipment and counterfeit labels.
The seized medicines have been sent to laboratories to determine their chemical composition, authenticity and quality. Batch numbers of the medicines suspected to be counterfeit have reportedly been blocked on the Karnataka FDA portal as a precautionary measure.
Authorities are now tracing the distribution chain to identify hospitals, clinics and medical stores that may have received the suspected fake medicines. The hunt is on for Prashanth, whose questioning is expected to shed further light on the alleged racket, including its financial transactions, procurement network and distribution channels.