BENGALURU: The Karnataka Special Investigation Team (SIT) has detained 36-year-old Prashanth Ranjan, the alleged kingpin of a fake drug network, at Kempegowda International Airport after he arrived on a flight from Dubai early Monday.
Prashanth was taken into custody at around 5.40 a.m. at the airport entry gate by a team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Anjan Kumar and was taken for questioning.
He will be produced before a court and, in all possibilities, will be taken to police custody for more than a week. A Lookout Circular (LOC) had been issued against him after he allegedly remained absconding for about one-and-a-half months.
Investigators suspect Peashanth is the prime accused in the fake drug network uncovered at a farmhouse in Dodderi in Tavarekere police station limits in Bengaluru South district. His detention is expected to help investigators establish the network's operations and identify others involved.
He had earlier been traced to Azerbaijan, where he was reportedly detained by local authorities over passport and visa-related issues.
The SIT has already arrested seven people in connection with the case, including Ranjan's close associate and pharmacy owner Veeresh Kumar Jain.
The investigation is continuing to establish the roles of the accused and the extent of the alleged fake drug network. The massive counterfeit medicine racket operating out of farmhouses in Dodderi was unearthed by the Tavarekere police along with officials from the Food Safety and Drugs Administration on August 18, 2026.
The officials had recovered spurious drugs and other valuables valued at approximately Rs five crore. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed on August 20 to probe the sprawling network.