Two black-marketers have reportedly landed into the custody of the Thane (rural) police on alleged charges of selling vials of an anti-Covid drug at higher than prescribed rates to needy patients in Mira Road.
According to highly placed sources, the duo was found to be selling the vials at a rate five times higher than its actual market price. Although police refused to divulge much detail about the arrests as they claimed that further investigations were underway, a bike has been seized along with some vials from the possession of the duo, sources revealed.
The maximum retail price (MRP) of the drug which is said to be allowed / prescribed for treatment of suspected or severe lab-confirmed cases of Covid-19 cases is Rs 5,400 for a 100 mg vial, but there are complaints that it was being sold at highly inflated prices depending on the urgency of the buyer.
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has already directed enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal delivery channels of the antiviral drug.
Meanwhile the number of cumulative Covid-19 positive patients in the twin-city breached the 5,000 mark as more than 200 people tested positive on Friday. The death toll has also climbed to 180.
