Counterfeit drug case: Kingpin’s trip to Turkey sheds light on racket’s international connections

The revelations shed new light on the racket’s international links and the methods allegedly used to pass fake drugs off as genuine drugs. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Investigators have found that the alleged ringleader of the fake drug racket, Prashanth, who is in the custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), allegedly traveled to Turkey several times to obtain original pharmaceutical labels, which were later used for counterfeit drugs.

The revelations shed new light on the racket’s international links and the methods allegedly used to pass fake drugs off as genuine drugs.

According to sources, Prashanth used to travel to Turkey several times a year, allegedly in connection with obtaining the original labels of a pharmaceutical company. However, his Turkish visa was canceled several times, after which it is suspected that he started traveling to neighboring countries.

Sources said the accused also traveled to several other countries, including Azerbaijan, where he was holed up before his arrest.

Investigators suspect that Prashanth procured original pharmaceutical labels from Turkey through middlemen. These genuine labels were allegedly affixed to the counterfeit drugs, which were then repackaged and supplied as genuine products.

The SIT investigation reportedly revealed that the accused and his associates were allegedly mixing counterfeit drugs with genuine drugs and supplying them to the market to avoid detection.

Officials are continuing to investigate the international network behind the alleged counterfeit drug operation, including the role of middlemen who helped procure the pharmaceutical labels and the destinations visited by the accused.

Published – 04 Oct 2026 21:17 IST