Bengaluru, Sep 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Karnataka Health Minister, U.T. Khader, on Monday stated that the C&F agency of Pfizer had failed to cooperate with officials investigating the fake medicine racket and had not provided key information sought by the authorities.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Khader said officials had sought details from the company regarding the medicines supplied through its network, but the agency had not shown interest in providing the information.
He also said the company had not provided the reference standard required to determine the proportion of medicine components during laboratory testing.
“In connection with the fake medicine mafia, our Food Safety and Drug Control Department officials, along with the police, detected the racket and an SIT is probing the matter. The search is on to identify the kingpin responsible for the drug mafia and trace all those connected with the network, from the dealers to those to whom the medicines were supplied,” Khader said.
He was speaking after holding a meeting with police and Health Department officials, Food Safety and Drug Controller Commissioner Srinivas and other senior officials.
Khader said action had been initiated against 24 centres in connection with the racket. According to him, 17 licences had been cancelled and seven licences suspended for alleged links with the racket.
He alleged that the entities had procured medicines at cheaper prices and sold them to consumers at MRP rates. The department had sought details of the hospitals and pharmacies to which the medicines had been supplied, but the concerned entities allegedly failed to provide the information.
“Cooperation was not extended to the officials. That is why action was taken against them,” Khader said.
Referring specifically to Pfizer, he said its C&F agency, which operates in connection with the company’s products from Australia and Italy, had also been asked to provide information.
“We sought information from the main agents, but they did not show any interest in providing it,” he said.
Khader said the department also requires reference standards to conduct laboratory tests and determine the proportion of various components in medicines.
“Even the reference standard has not been provided yet. In this background, there has been non-cooperation from the company in the investigation and laboratory testing,” he said.
The minister said the investigation would continue to trace the entire supply chain and identify those responsible for the alleged fake medicine racket.
It can be noted that Karnataka Health Department suspended the licence of Pfizer C&F Depot along with eight other drug licences in connection with a fake medicine racket unearthed in Bidadi, in the outskirts of Bengaluru.
The department on Monday urged citizens to purchase medicines only from licenced pharmacies against valid tax invoices and report suspicious packaging or non-scanning QR codes on labels to Drug Enforcement authorities.
The action follows a raid conducted by the Drug Enforcement Wing of the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) at a farmhouse at Kurubarakeranahalli in Bidadi, Bengaluru South district, on August 18, 2026. The operation allegedly uncovered an unlicenced pharmaceutical repacking and relabelling racket.
Spurious drugs, machinery and printing materials worth an estimated Rs 5.05 crore were seized during the raid. The inventory value of the seized materials was estimated at Rs 4.91 crore.
According to the preliminary investigation, low-cost medicines procured from neighbouring states were allegedly repacked into new vials and relabelled to resemble expensive life-saving medicines of multinational companies, including products purportedly carrying the Pfizer brand.
The authorities also found QR and scanning codes on the suspected counterfeit labels that reportedly did not function when verified. Officials said the seized products are suspected to contain no active medicinal ingredients, incorrect ingredients or potentially harmful substances, posing a serious risk to public health.
A criminal case has been registered under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The department has invoked provisions relating to spurious drugs, while further investigation is underway to identify and trace the entire supply chain in six states across the country.
As part of the investigation into retailers and wholesalers allegedly involved in the distribution and sale of spurious medicines, 16 drug licences have been cancelled and eight licences suspended. The licence of M/s Pfizer C&F Depot at Kempalinganahalli, Nelamangala Taluk, Bengaluru Rural district, has also been suspended.
The department has blocked the batch numbers and entries of the seized medicines on the Karnataka FDA portal to prevent their further sale or distribution. Samples of the seized products have also been sent to laboratories for testing to determine their chemical composition, sterility and potency.
Source: IANS
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