225 O2 CYLINDERS MEANT FOR BLACK MARKETING SEIZED, 10 HELD

: Continuing their crackdown on black marketing of oxygen and medicines for Covid treatment, the Lucknow police on Tuesday arrested 10 people and recovered 225 oxygen cylinders from four areas, said senior police officials.

With this, a total of 290 oxygen cylinders, meant for being sold illegally, have been seized in Lucknow in the past 10 days.

In a recent catch, Lucknow police arrested two people-Karan Bhardwaj and Nekram Pal-- and seized 115 jumbo oxygen cylinders from their possession in Janakipuram.

Similarly, two people identified as Vishnuji Gupta and Vikas Kumar Shukla were arrested from Gudamba area and 87 oxygen cylinders, including 46 jumbo size cylinders and 41 small cylinders, were recov

ered from them.

Inspector of Gudamba police station Fareed Ahmad said an amount of ₹1.03 lakh collected by the black marketers was also recovered.

Separately, two persons –

Ikram Ali and Ayush Shukla – were arrested in Gomti Nagar extension with 18 oxygen cylinders, including 10 jumbo size cylinders and eight small cylinders. Police said the duo was carrying the cylinders for black marketing by procuring receipt of nitrogen gas filled in it.

Four persons were also arrested in Naka area and five oxygen cylinders were recovered from them.

UP additional director general (ADG), law and order, Prashant Kumar said the state police were carrying out a drive against black marketeers across the state. He said as many as 110 people have been arrested for black marketing of oxygen cylinders, life-saving medicines, injections and oximeters in 13 districts across UP.

In total, 830 Remedesivir injections, 1256 oxygen cylinders, 531 oximeters as well as over ₹52 lakh procured through black marketing have been recovered, said another senior state police official.

He said the largest recovery was made in Lucknow where so far 290 oxygen cylinders, 371 Remdesivir injections, 535 oximeters meant for black marketing were seized from different persons since April 15.

Similarly, five cases were reported from Kanpur, four from Gautam Buddh Nagar, three from Ghaziabad, two from Meerut and one from Prayagraj, Barabanki, Hapur, Bareilly, Hardoi, Jhansi, Varanasi and Moradabad, he added.