Bengaluru: Shocking details have emerged regarding the case of counterfeit antibiotics and ICU drugs in Karnataka. An investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has revealed that the accused distributed over 15,000 vials of fake antibiotic injections to hospitals and pharmacies over the past year and a half. Here is the report:
Distribution of 15,000 Counterfeit Vials:
During the investigation into this racket—where life-saving drugs were being illegally manufactured at a farmhouse in Bidadi, on the outskirts of Bengaluru—it was found that the accused procured low-cost or expired, substandard chemicals and drugs from Hyderabad, Chennai, and Uttarakhand. They would fill these into new vials, affix counterfeit labels of global companies like Pfizer, and sell them.
The accused have already distributed more than 15,000 vials of these fake antibiotic injections. These were high-cost drugs intended for treating severe bacterial infections and for use on patients in the ICU. According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), it is suspected that the accused made a profit of over Rs.10 crore in just the last few months by selling the drugs at prices ranging from Rs.5,500 to Rs.6,500 per unit.
Supply to over 90 hospitals:
These counterfeit medicines were supplied at heavily discounted rates to more than 90 major hospitals and clinics across Bengaluru and Karnataka through DM Pharma and Krupa Pharma. The mastermind behind the racket, R. Prashanth Babu, had fled abroad (to Azerbaijan) but was arrested by SIT officials upon his return to Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. A total of seven individuals have been arrested in this case so far.