Counterfeit and Diverted Cancer Drugs: Bengaluru Probe Reaches 90+ Hospitals as Delhi Police Bust Rs 9 Crore Racket
核心洞察
Bengaluru investigators are probing whether counterfeit or repackaged cancer (搜索) drugs reached more than 90 hospitals and clinics, with pharmacy owner Veeresh Kumar Jain arrested.
Delhi Police's Crime Branch arrested 17 people across seven states and recovered 588 filled anti-cancer (搜索) vials from a racket valued at around Rs 9 crore.
Recovered products included Darzalex, Imfinzi, Erbitux, Opdyta (搜索), Gazyva, Bavencio, Adcetris and Keytruda, with batch numbers and MRP marks allegedly erased using acetone.
Indian authorities have uncovered two large-scale operations involving counterfeit and illegally diverted anti-cancer (搜索) medicines, one centred on Bengaluru and another spanning multiple states, raising concerns about the integrity of the oncology drug supply chain.
In Bengaluru, a joint investigation by the city police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the Drugs Control Department (搜索) is examining whether fake or repackaged medicines were supplied to more than 90 hospitals and clinics. The probe intensified after officials raided Krupa Healthcare near Minerva Circle and recovered a large quantity of suspected counterfeit medicines. Investigators suspect the network supplied cancer (搜索) medicines, life-saving drugs and ICU injections to hospitals, clinics and medical shops, allegedly offering them at discounts of nearly 50 per cent.
According to investigators, the racket allegedly involved procuring medicines at low prices, rebranding them under different names and selling them at higher rates. Authorities also suspect that expired medicines were repackaged in fresh containers and fitted with counterfeit labels, some allegedly resembling the branding of established pharmaceutical companies. The Krupa Healthcare premises is suspected to have been used as a storage and distribution point.
Arrest and Interstate Links Under Investigation
Pharmacy owner Veeresh Kumar Jain has been arrested and is suspected of being part of the network. Police suspect he had been operating the firm for around five years and have alleged he was linked to Prashant, identified as a key accused and suspected kingpin of the network. Prashant is currently absconding, and Veeresh Kumar is the only person arrested in the case so far.
Investigators are examining whether the suspected racket had an interstate network, with more than 15 medical representatives suspected of facilitating the transportation or distribution of the medicines. Vamsi Krishna, Joint Commissioner of Police (West) and head of the SIT, said the full extent of the network was yet to be established. Police are examining bank transactions, purchase and sale records and other documents seized during the investigation to trace the movement of the medicines as well as the flow of money.
The Bengaluru investigation is linked to an August 18 raid at a farmhouse in the Bidadi and Dodderi areas of Bengaluru South district, where authorities seized suspected counterfeit medicines worth around Rs 5 crore. The seizure also included fake invoices, injection-filling equipment and counterfeit labels. Following that raid, investigators expanded the probe and conducted coordinated searches at more than 10 locations across Karnataka, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, which subsequently led them to Krupa Healthcare and Veeresh Kumar. The SIT and Drugs Control Department (搜索) are now working to identify hospitals and other medical establishments that may have received the suspected counterfeit medicines.
Delhi Operation Recovers 588 Anti-Cancer Vials
Separately, the Delhi Police's Crime Branch arrested 17 people and recovered hundreds of vials of life-saving drugs, busting an alleged multi-state racket involving counterfeit and illegally diverted anti-cancer (搜索) medicines worth around Rs 9 crore. A team recovered 588 filled anti-cancer vials, six empty vials, seven empty medicine boxes, 3,021 units of other medicines and around Rs 50 lakh in cash.
The recovered medicines include Darzalex, Imfinzi, Erbitux, Opdyta (搜索), Gazyva, Bavencio, Adcetris and Keytruda, which are predominantly used in the treatment of various types of cancers. The syndicate had supply links across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other locations, according to police.
The probe began on June 22 after the team received secret inputs about the racket, with verification identifying suspicious premises in East Delhi, Rohini and Mumbai. Seven teams conducted simultaneous raids on July 11 in Delhi and Navi Mumbai in coordination with the drugs department and local police. Subsequent interrogation, disclosures and searches led to the arrests of 17 accused. An FIR was registered at the Crime Branch Police Station on July 12.
Three Supply Channels Identified
Police said the syndicate obtained medicines through three channels: counterfeit drugs bought from unauthorised sources, medicines allegedly misappropriated from hospitals meant for cancer (搜索) patients, and government-supplied medicines diverted from government institutions and warehouses. The medicines were allegedly procured without valid invoices, purchase records, drug licences or other lawful documents and stored at residential and other premises before being distributed through intermediaries.
Original cartons and empty boxes were retained for repackaging, while batch numbers, MRP details and other identifying marks were allegedly removed using chemicals such as acetone. Thermocol boxes, bubble rolls, adhesive tape and polythene were used to prepare consignments, and registers and diaries recording medicine and cash transactions were recovered.
Among those arrested, police said Abhishek Vaishya, 26, allegedly procured and supplied the medicines since 2022, with registers, devices, packaging material, medicines and Rs 4 lakh recovered from him. Shubham Kumar Chaudhary, 25, was allegedly involved since 2023 and Rs 23 lakh was recovered from him, while Suraj Chaudhary, 22, allegedly joined the trade in 2024. Gagan, 28, a wholesale medicine trader, allegedly sourced injections from Satish Kumar, 30, a former medical store salesperson, and supplied them to Vaishya. Mukesh, 30, allegedly procured drugs from hospitals since 2023, with 12 vials, medicines, packaging material and Rs 16.5 lakh recovered from his vehicle.
Police further alleged that Ayush Kumar, 23, a medicine-firm operator in Navi Mumbai, sourced drugs from Gagan, while Vishwas Tyagi, 35, who runs a medicine firm, facilitated invoices without corresponding supplies. Paramjeet Sheoran, 34, a B Pharma-qualified medical-store owner, allegedly distributed the medicines downstream, with nine vials recovered from him. Anand Kumar, 42, a former pharmaceutical firm operator, allegedly acted as a key intermediary, with 337 anti-cancer (搜索) vials recovered from him.
In Hyderabad, medical store owner Srinivasulu Kalva, 52, allegedly received drugs from a hospital, while former hospital worker Ramdas Satish Kumar, 42, allegedly misappropriated medicines, and B Pharma-qualified hospital employee Malugari Srinath Reddy, 35, allegedly supplied medicines meant for patients. Mayank Garg, 35, who has run a pharmaceutical firm since 2014, allegedly sourced hospital medicines, with 55 vials recovered from him. Deepak alias Ravi, 33, a dental technician and an oncologist's former personal assistant, allegedly received vials from nursing staff, with 108 vials and Rs 6.5 lakh recovered. Jaswant Sharma, 42, a nursing-qualified oncology department in-charge, allegedly removed medicines from a hospital, while Manish Sharma, 28, a nursing-qualified worker, allegedly misappropriated injections meant for patients.
Police said electronic devices, documents and packaging material were also seized, and that the Crime Branch is tracing the complete supply and financial network, identifying end beneficiaries and examining the role of other persons and business entities.