The Anti-Extortion Cell of Thane crime branch have arrested two people for illegally black marketing remdesivir injection use for treatment of covid-19 cases. The police have arrested the two accused and have seized 21 remdesivir injections from them.
The police alleged that the injections were brought from Thane based covid-19 center from the city. The injections had a stamp from the Government of Maharashtra and a print stating not for sale. Suspecting involvement of staff or officials from the covid-19 centre.
Rajkumar Kothmire, Senior police Inspector, Anti-Extortion Cell of Thane said, "With the second wave coming up with increasing cases of corona. It is found that the injection is useful for treatment of the disease. However, the demand of the injection had resulted in shortage of the injection. Forcing people to purchase it in black market for four times the actual rate," he added.
Kothmire further added, "We had instructions from our superiors to get such people behind who are black marketing. Based on a specific information received to social activist Dr Binu Varghese regarding injections. He himself posed as a dummy customer and fixed a deal of 16 injection vials at Rs 5500 per vial. Accordingly a trap was laid with the team of FDA (food and drug administration) at Teen Hath Naka by our team and the accused was caught red handed. In yet another case each vial being sold for 10,000. Varghese again posed as a dummy customer and exposed the racket where 6 Remdesivir injection vials have been seized. So the total seized in today's case is 21 Remdesivir injection vials," added Kothmire.
The police said the arrested accused are identified as Atif Anjum 22, a resident of Kurla and Pramod Sakaram Thakur 31 a resident of Thakurpada in Bhiwandi. "While Anjum works as a nusing assistant at parking plaza covid centre in Thane and at night works in a private hospital. He alleged of purchasing the 16 free samples for Rs 4000 from a doctor, which is being investigated. And was selling it for Rs 5,500. Thakur was arrested with 6 injections that cost Rs 3950. He purchased it for Rs 7,000 and was selling it for Rs 10,000," added Varghese, saying they are the middle men selling it for a commission. "The police should investigate the doctors and municipal officials behind the black marketing. As this injection came from covid centre,"he added.
Both of them are arrested and have been booked under section of the Indian penal code.
