Ktaka Fda Seizes Spurious Drugs Worth Rs 4 91 Crore

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.

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.

According to officials, 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.

Spurious drugs are fake or counterfeit medicines that are made to look like real, branded products with the intent to cheat buyers and make a profit, it said.

"The medicines being spurious contain no active medicine, the wrong ingredients, or harmful substances. The scanning codes were non-functional on the labels used for this purpose," a statement issued by the department's Commissioner Srinivas K said.

Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, spurious drugs are dealt with under Section 17B, and the punishment for manufacturing, selling, stocking, or distributing spurious drugs is severely dealt with under Section 27, officials said.

Penalties range from a minimum of 10 years' imprisonment to life imprisonment. The seized stock will be produced before a local court in Bengaluru South, they said.

The seized drugs include 5,640 vials of Cefiavigent 2.5 Injection, 1,531 vials of Hizlam injectables, 470 vials of Xavitaz injection, 264 vials of Emblaveo, besides expired drugs, packaging materials, injection-filling machinery and forged labels.

The total estimated value of the seized material is ₹4,91,49,575, it said.

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.

"By re-labelling generic or lower-cost drugs as premium brands, the perpetrators created significant risks regarding the authenticity and safety of the medication provided to patients," it said.

The department noted that the seizure of 30 boxes of expired medications suggested that such drugs were being reintegrated into the supply chain, posing a severe health hazard to the public.

Following the seizures, the batch numbers and entries for the seized drugs are being blocked on the Karnataka FDA portal to prevent any further distribution or sale.

Samples of the seized products have been sent for laboratory testing to verify their chemical composition, sterility, and potency, officials said.

"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.

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