‘Antiviral’ Racketeers Sold COVID-19 Drugs At Rs 1 Lakh!

HYDERABAD: The police investigation into the recent antiviral drugs racket busted on July 14 revealed that the viral drugs were illegally smuggled from Delhi, Chennai and Ahmedabad at a cost of Rs 30,000 and sold in the city for Rs 1 lakh. The Hyderabad police on Tuesday arrested eight persons involved in the black marketing of antiviral medicine used to treat COVID-19 patients. When a member of the gang, Gagan Quran, was interrogated by the task force, he revealed the details that they had sold Actemra and COVIfor drugs in Chennai and Hyderabad. It is reported that two private hospitals are behind this drug mafia. 

The police have been collecting details from the two private hospitals in this regard. The drugs were being reportedly brought in the name of doctors to sell them at a whopping cost of Rs 1,20,000  as against their actual worth of Rs 30,000. Also drugs worth Rs 5000 were also being sold for Rs 1 lakh.

As the police busted the racket, they have recovered Rs 35.5 lakh worth antiviral drugs from the gang.  Hyderabad commissioner of police Anjani Kumar has cautioned the distributors of pharma companies, medical representatives and medical shop owners to guard against these black-marketers.