SIT raids three Bengaluru pharmacies, traces trail of fake medicine sales

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the medicine racket has raided three pharmacies in Bengaluru as part of its efforts to trace the sale of counterfeit medicines and identify the hospitals, distributors and other pharmacies that may have received the drugs from the accused.

The raids were conducted based on information gathered during the interrogation of key accused Prashanth and distributor Veeresh Jain. SIT officials identified pharmacies allegedly involved in purchasing counterfeit medicines from the accused and searched their premises.

The three pharmacies raided were located in RR Nagar, Chamarajapete and Thalaghattapura.

During the searches, officials allegedly seized counterfeit medicines found at the premises. Notices were also issued to the pharmacy owners, who are being questioned about their transactions with the accused.

The SIT is now examining since when the pharmacies had been purchasing medicines from the accused, as well as the quantities purchased and the prices paid. Investigators are also checking purchase bills, invoices, stock registers and other records to reconstruct the movement of the medicines.

A key part of the investigation is to establish the supply chain.

The SIT is collecting details from the pharmacy owners about hospitals and other medical establishments to which the medicines were supplied. Investigators are likely to verify the records of such establishments to determine whether counterfeit medicines entered the legitimate medical supply chain.

The team is also examining whether the accused supplied the medicines directly to pharmacies or operated through intermediaries and distributors. The questioning is expected to help investigators identify additional pharmacies, distributors and individuals who may have been part of the network.

The fake medicine racket came to light after the SIT allegedly found that the accused had procured medicines at lower prices and repackaged and relabelled them as genuine branded medicines before putting them on the market.

With the latest raids, the SIT has shifted its focus beyond the principal accused to the entire sale and distribution trail, including the source of procurement, intermediaries, pharmacies, hospitals and the final recipients of the suspected counterfeit medicines.

Officials said the investigation is continuing to determine the full extent of the network and whether more pharmacies or individuals were involved in the racket.

The SIT has also issued notices to hospitals that procured medicines from Prashanth and Veeresh to ascertain whether the hospitals had flouted any rules, whether they were aware of the racket, and to obtain the details of patients who were administered these medicines. Based on their responses, their role, if any, will be ascertained and further investigation will be conducted.