Consumers Warned After Pfizer C‑F Depot License Suspended Over Fake Drug Ring

Bengaluru, 21 September – The Karnataka Health Department has issued a public warning after suspending the licence of the Pfizer C‑F depot in Nelamangala taluk due to its involvement in a large counterfeit‑medicine racket.

The depot, along with seven other licences, was linked to a scheme that repackaged low‑cost medicines from neighboring states and affixed fake labels designed to appear identical to high‑value multinational products. The operation produced counterfeit packs lacking active ingredients or containing potentially harmful substances.

During the raid on 18 August, authorities seized medicines worth about ₹5.05 crore, printing machinery and packaging material valued at roughly ₹4.91 crore. A criminal case has been filed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Health officials urge the public to buy medicines exclusively from licensed pharmacies with proper tax invoices and to report any irregularities in packaging, labelling, or QR codes that fail to scan. The department has blocked the batch numbers of the seized products on its online portal to stop further circulation.

Laboratory analysis of the confiscated samples is in progress to determine their chemical makeup, sterility and efficacy. The evidence will be presented before the JMC Court, Bengaluru South, as the investigation expands to trace the full supply chain across six states.