In a joint operation by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Crime branch unit 7 sleuths, seven men were arrested for selling the Remdesivir injections being used in treatment of COVID-19, at an overpriced rate in Mulund. Police said the accused men were selling the injection at five times the MRP's rate and have seized 13 injection vials from the accused.
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. Accordingly, crime branch sleuths were roped and a trap was laid near LBS Road in Mulund (W) on Saturday, where two FDA officials waited for the accused men.
As decided, the two accused men, Vikas Dubey and Rahul Gada, arrived at the spot along with the Remdesivir vial and after gesturing the police, they apprehended the duo. Police seized one vial of Hetero Labs Ltd produced Covifor Remdesivir Injection. During interrogation, it was revealed Dubey and Gada worked at a local medical store and got the vials from their contacts at Delfa Pharmaceuticals, a manufacturing unit based in Ghatkopar.
Following the information, police arrested the remaining five-- Bhavesh Shah, Ashish Kanojiya, Ritesh Thombre, Gurvinder Singh and Sudhir Pujari. During the course of the investigation, police seized a total of 13 vials of Covifor Remdesivir from the spot. All the seven accused were booked under sections of Indian Penal Code for cheating and common intention along with provisions of the FDA Act, a police official said.
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