On Wednesday, five persons were arrested for alleged black marketing of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab injections, which are used in the treatment of COVID-19, in Maharashtra's Thane city.
According to a report by Indian Express, while the market price of Remdesivir is Rs 5,400 and Tocilizumab Rs 30,500, the accused were planning to sell the two drugs for Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively, police said. Acting on a tip-off, the police laid a trap at a petrol pump in Thane and nabbed three of the accused late on Tuesday.
During interrogation, the names of two men who had supplied the medicines cropped up and they were apprehended from Navi Mumbai. The police have registered offences under relevant sections of the IPC, Food and Drug Administration's regulations and price control norms, further probe is underway.
Earlier on July 20, seven were arrested for selling Remdesivir injections at an overpriced rate in Mulund. Acting on a tip-off that the Covifor Remdesivir injections were being sold at an overpriced rate than the market cap in Mulund, officials of the FDA planted a decoy customer and asked for one vial of the injection at Rs 30,000, which has a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of Rs 5,400.
