Bengaluru SIT arrests alleged spurious drugs racket kingpin R. Prashanth at airport
· India · The Hindu, Hindustan Times
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested R. Prashanth, the alleged kingpin of a spurious drugs manufacturing and sale racket, at Kempegowda International Airport on September 28, 2026, as he returned from Azerbaijan. A lookout notice had been issued after Prashanth fled the country following the August 2026 raid that seized counterfeit medicines worth over ₹5 crore from an unlicensed repackaging unit near Bidadi. His arrest was based on the statement of another accused, Veeresh Jain, who runs a shop at Minerva Circle in Bengaluru. Prashanth was produced before a judge on Monday after a medical examination. The Tavarekere police had initially seized suspected counterfeit medicines and equipment from a farmhouse near Bidadi, after which the SIT was formed to probe the wider racket.
Why it matters
The arrest disrupts a major counterfeit drug network that had been operating since the August 2026 raid, potentially protecting patients from spurious medicines and restoring confidence in drug safety. It also signals that fugitive accused can be tracked down even after fleeing abroad.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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