SOURCE :- SIASAT NEWS
Ramanagara: Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drugs Administration Department has busted a major illegal fake medicine manufacturing and repackaging operation at Hejjala near Bidadi in Ramanagara district on Tuesday, August 18, seizing counterfeit medicines and related materials worth more than Rs 5 crore.
The operation was carried out under the direction of Food Safety Commissioner K. Srinivas and Additional Drugs Controller Dr Umesh. Officials raided a premises where counterfeit medicines were allegedly being manufactured and repackaged without the mandatory government licences and permissions.
According to officials, the operators were allegedly using fake labels carrying the names of reputed multinational pharmaceutical companies and established brands before repackaging the medicines for distribution in the market. The activity was reportedly being carried out secretly at the premises.
During the raid, officials recovered a large quantity of suspected counterfeit tablets, pharmaceutical raw materials, packaging material and labels. The total value of the seized material was estimated to be more than Rs 5 crore.
The department’s special team conducted a detailed inspection of the premises and examined the medicines, raw materials and other pharmaceutical materials found there. The seized material was subsequently sealed for further investigation and necessary legal action.
Officials are examining the source of the raw materials, the manufacturing and repackaging process and the intended distribution network to determine the extent of the racket.
The authorities are also expected to verify the authenticity and composition of the seized medicines and ascertain whether they posed any health risk to consumers.
The department said further investigation would focus on identifying those behind the illegal operation and determining how long the counterfeit medicines had been manufactured, repackaged and supplied to the market.
SOURCE : SIASAT
