Karnataka counterfeit drug network leader seized at Bengaluru airport

The alleged mastermind of a large counterfeit drug operation in Karnataka was arrested at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport around 5.40 am on Monday, six weeks after he fled the farmhouse where investigators first uncovered medicines and packaging worth roughly ₹5 crore. R Prashanth, 36, arrived from Sharjah after a reported detainment in Azerbaijan over passport issues. Police had issued a lookout circular after he escaped during an August 18 raid on an unlicensed facility in Kurubarakeranahalli near Bidadi.

The arrest was carried out by a team led by Assistant Commissioner Anjan Kumar, and Prashanth was taken for a medical exam before being brought to the city police commissioner’s office, where the Special Investigation Team recorded his preliminary statement. The SIT plans to present him before a court and request custody for further questioning. The investigation, sparked by a labourer’s tip about discarded medicine vials, has led to seizures valued at about ₹5 crore and the cancellation or suspension of multiple drug licences.