Karnataka Police Cracks Down Remdesivir Black Marketing Rackets

Bangalore: The Central Crime Branch(CCB) police arrested a drug dealer who supplies drugs and medical equipment to local druggists for black marketing Remdesivir.

Police have identified them as Huzaif, Martin, K P Suman, and Prakash. Suman was running the ‘Kartikeya' drug distribution business, while Huzaif and Martin owned the ‘Sonalika' drug stores and Prakash owned a store named  ‘Venkateshwara'.

Suman obtained Remdesivir from pharmaceutical firms, contacted Covid patients' relatives via his hospital network, and offered medicines for Rs 10,000 to Rs 11,000 per vial. Police arrested them and seized 55 vials of Remdesivir.

Separate police teams discovered that the circulated Remdesivir to a small number of pharmacists was causing artificial scarcity.

The investigation officer said that "They had stockpiled the medication and lie to hospitals about it. But they sell it for Rs 10,000 if anyone is needed. We are gathering information about his department permit.”