Finally, criminal investigators from the Food and Drug Administration visited the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., on Tuesday, the site that has been tied to Meningitis cases.

It is the first most public indication from the officials indicating that the federal government is considering preparing a case against the company for its links to the deadly meningitis outbreak.

In their recent statements, Federal and state officials talked about the case and said that the contaminated pain medicine that was manufactured at New England Compounding had caused the deaths of 16 people along with sickening more than 200.

Since early October, investigators from the F. D. A's regulatory section have been investigating the case at the company's offices. But on Tuesday, were for the first time seen the agency's criminal investigators at the site.

An agency spokesman, Mr. Steven Immergut, confirmed that criminal agents from the F. D. A.'s Office of Criminal Investigations have visited the site to bring out the facts of suspected violations of federal laws that were actually meant to protect public health.

In reply to which, the company's lawyer, Mr. Paul Cirel, said that "It is difficult to understand the purpose of this search, since we have been clear that New England Compounding Center would provide, and has provided, anything requested."