11 held for running racket selling fake sexual performance drugs via social media

Kumar lured patients into filling out forms, obtaining their personal details but later, representatives at a call centre, posing as doctors, sold medicines worth ₹50-100 procured from Delhi for ₹2,000

An organised racket involved in illegal sale of sexual performance-enhancing drugs through social media was busted and eleven arrests have been made, police said on Sunday. The accused were arrested while posing as medical professionals and running a call centre in Udyog Vihar (phase V), according to officials privy to the matter.

Officials said a team from Cyber Police Station (South) acted on a tip-off about an online campaign targeting young individuals into buying sexual performance-enhancing drugs. (Representational image)

Officials said a team from Cyber Police Station (South) acted on a tip-off about an online campaign targeting young individuals into buying sexual performance-enhancing drugs. “We received information about some people illegally prescribing these medicines through misleading ads on Instagram and Facebook,” a senior official said.

A team led by Inspector Naveen Kumar of Cyber police station (south) and other senior officials was formed to conduct a raid at the basement of a building in Udyog Vihar on Friday. “Eleven, including four women, were arrested,” the senior official added.

The accused were identified as Piyush Kumar, a resident of New Colony in Gurugram, Abhishek Sharma of Dera Village in New Delhi, Chaitan Saini of Kanhaiya Nagar in New Delhi, Dev Singh and Simran – both residents of Kapashera, among others.

Officials said that Kumar owned the call center from where the accused initially contacted the patients. “He lured patients into filling out forms, thereby obtaining their personal details. Later, representatives at a call centre, posing as doctors, sold medicines worth ₹50-100 procured from Delhi for ₹2,000,” senior official added.

Investigators revealed that Kumar had recruited full-time staff for the operation, who were paid ₹15-20,000 monthly, in addition to a 3% commission on converting a patient into their client.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police said thirteen mobile phones, 54 boxes of fake sexual performance-enhancing drugs and 35 oil sprays were seized. “An FIR was registered at the cyber crime police station (south) under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). An investigation is currently underway and further action will be decided based on its findings,” he said.