7 arrested for selling remdesivir at ₹30K

Seven people of a gang were arrested from different parts of the city on Saturday for allegedly selling a single vial of remdesivir injection to customers for ₹30,000

Seven people of a gang were arrested from different parts of the city on Saturday for allegedly selling a single vial of remdesivir injection to customers for ₹30,000 – six times more than the actual price of the anti-viral drug which is used to treat Covid-19 patients.

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“The accused conspired to make easy money by procuring and selling the drugs at higher price to needy customers,” said Akbar Pathan, deputy commissioner of police (crime branch).

Officers from crime branch unit 7, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials also seized 13 injections from the homes of the accused, identified as Rahul Bharat Gala, Vikas Angad Dubey, Bhavesh Ashok Shah, Ashish Gangadin Kanojia, Ritesh Rohidas Thonbare, Gurvindersingh Jasvindersingh Rathod and Sudhir Babu Pujari.

“Gala and Dubey worked a medical store in Mulund, while Pujari worked with a medicine distributing agency in Ghatkopar. He gave injections to others to sell in the black market,” said inspector Satish Taware of unit 7.

After receiving a tip-off, crime branch unit 7 officers sent a dummy customer and then conducted raids and nabbed Gala and Dubey from their homes in Mulund and Diva, respectively, and recovered seven injections.

“On interrogating them, we learnt about Kanojia. On raiding his Antop Hill house, we found six injections. We found that Thonbare, Rathod and Pujari were also a part of the gang and arrested them,” said Taware.

All the accused were produced in court and remanded in police custody till July 24.