Stories
Fake Medicine Racket Busted: Rs 5 Crore Worth of Bogus Drugs Seized; Easy Trick to Identify Genuine Medicines
- •Major action in Karnataka against counterfeit medicines; 16 licenses cancelled, 8 suspended.
- •Racket exposed after a raid on a farmhouse in Bidadi near Bengaluru.
- •Cheap medicines were being repackaged and sold as expensive, life-saving drugs.
- •Always buy from licensed stores, demand a bill, and carefully check packaging details.
- •Verify QR codes, be wary of unusually cheap medicines, and consult experts if in doubt.
Key Questions Answered
The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (FDA) cancelled the licenses of 16 pharmacies and wholesale dealers, and suspended 8 licenses following the discovery of a counterfeit medicine network in regions including Bengaluru, Hubballi, and Belagavi.
Consumers should buy medicines only from licensed and reliable stores, always request a proper bill as purchase proof, carefully inspect packaging and batch details for irregularities, verify QR codes if available, and remain cautious of unusually low prices.
The illegal network was uncovered following a raid on a farmhouse located in the Bidadi area near Bengaluru, where authorities found low-cost and expired medicines being repackaged and relabeled to mimic expensive, life-saving brand-name drugs.
