BENGALURU, Sept. 21 -- The Karnataka food safety and drugs administration (FDA) on Sunday said it has cancelled 16 drug licences and suspended eight others as its investigation into a suspected counterfeit medicine network near Bidadi expands to pharmacies and wholesalers.

The action follows the FDA's August 18 raid on an unlicensed facility in Kurubarakeranahalli, near Bidadi, where officials seized medicines, machinery, packaging material and forged labels worth Rs.5.05 crore.

The FDA has blocked the batch numbers of medicines seized during the raid on its portal and sent samples for laboratory testing. "The batch numbers and entries for the seized drugs are being blocked on the Karnataka FDA portal to prevent any further distribution...