The recent bust of a large counterfeit-medicine operation near Bengaluru is not just another regulatory raid; it is a stark reminder that fake drugs are a slow-motion mass poisoning that demands the severest punishment and systemic reform. Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) enforcement wing raided an unlicensed facility at a farmhouse in Bidadi (Ramanagara district) and seized medicines, expired stock, counterfeit labels, packaging material and an injection-filling unit valued at about `4.91 crore. Officials allege that cheaper medicines sourced from other states were repackaged and relabelled to look like products of major multinational companies-including brands such as Pfizer-and then sold to hospitals and pharmacies at roughly 50 per cent........

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