Delhi Police urges people to steer clear of fake Remdesivir injections

The Delhi Crime Branch's inter-state cell on Saturday busted the manufacturing unit which was involved in manufacturing of fake Remdesivir from Uttarakhand's Kotdwar.

Delhi Police issued an advisory warning relatives and friends of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients to not get lured into buying fake Remdesivir injections on Saturday. Delhi Police officer Monika Bharadwaj shared the image of a fake Remdesivir injection named ‘COVIPRI’ and urged people to remain cautious of the product which is making rounds in the market.

This is a fake Remdesivir injection acquired from a inter-state racket. (Twitter/Monika Bharadwaj)

“This is fake. No Remdesivir by the name of COVIPRI exists. This complete racket has been busted but some injections may still be in circulation. Please do not buy from unverified sources,” Bharadwaj tweeted, warning people to remain aware of scamsters trying to make a profit off of people amid the pandemic.

“The Crime Branch identified an interstate gang and apprehended two accused- Mohd. Shoiab Khan and Mohan Kumar Jha - from MB Road in Delhi’s Sangam Vihar. They were found indulging in black marketing of fake lifesaving 'Remdesivir injections', and recovered 10 'Remdesivir Injections' from their possession,” Bharadwaj was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The racket sold these injections at exorbitant rates of ₹25,000 - ₹40,000. Manish Goyal, Pushkar Chanderkant Pakhale, Sadhna Sharma, Vatan Kumar Saini, and Aditya Gautam were also arrested by the Delhi Police.

The issue of fake Remdesivir being sold to unsuspecting patients has become a worry for people whose loved ones are infected by Covid-19. It is a serious law and order issue while state governments try to procure Remdesivir as an increasing number of cases and deaths are putting undue stress on an already overburdened healthcare sector.