India, Sept. 16 -- The first clue in Karnataka's suspected fake drug racket was found not in a hospital or pharmacy, in a field.

A labourer in C K Tandya village near Dodderi in Ramanagara district noticed discarded medicine waste, including vials, tubes and packets containing some powder. He alerted a police constable, who visited the area, collected samples and passed the information to senior officers.

The tip led investigators on August 18 to an unlicensed facility at Kurubarakeranahalli, near the Bidadi toll gate. They seized medicines worth Rs.4.91 crore, along with expired stock, injection filling equipment, packaging material and forged labels, superintendent of police, Ramanagara district, R Srinivas Gowda said. Investigators s...