AMID SHORTAGE 6 held for black marketing Covid-19 drugs, O2 meters
NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: The Noida police on Thursday arrested three persons for allegedly selling the antiviral drug remdesivir at exorbitant rates.
Police said the suspects-32-year-old Perwez from of Nandgram in Ghaziabad, 30-year-old Naimfrom Ecotech 3 and 31-year-old Nisar from Dankaur in Greater Noida -- sold a vial of the injectable drug for ₹37,000 when the market rate was between ₹899 to ₹4000 per vial depending on the manufacturer.
The in-charge of Phase-2 police station, Yogesh Kumar, said that the three were arrested from NSEZ area based on a tip.
Ankur Aggarwal, additional DCP, Noida Central, said police found the three with small plastic boxes in which they were carrying the medicines. “The police detained the suspects and found five vials of remdesivir medicine,” he said.
Police said Perwez is a medical representative and he used to source these medicines from his networks. A case has been registered against them under Section 420 (cheating) of IPC, and also under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. The suspects were produced in court and sent to judicial custody.
Noida Police has issued an advisory warning people against fraudsters who would trying to cheat desperate people on pretext of providing them oxygen cylinders and life saving medicines. “These people put their contact numbers on social media and other search engines. They sometimes identify themselves as staff of some hospitals and demand advance payment for the services. However, they cheat people and do not deliver the services,” it read.
In Gzb, three held for black marketing oxygen flow metres
The Ghaziabad Police on Thursday arrested three persons for allegedly selling oxygen flow metres at exorbitant rates.
Flow metres are used to determine the volume of gas in a cylinder.
As per officials, the suspects allegedly purchased the devices from various places in Delhi and then sold it for ₹15,000-20,000. In the market, flow meters are priced between ₹1,500 and ₹3,000, depending on quality.
Police identified the suspects as Salman Ahmad (27), Imraan (30) and Javed Rafique (47), all residents of Delhi. “Police received a complaint that some people are selling the devices at a high price to relatives or friends of Covid patients. Acting on a tip, police nabbed the three Wednesday,” said Sandeep Kumar Singh, SHO of Kotwali Police Station.
Police said they seized eight flow meters, ₹1 lakh and an SUV from them.
Singh said the suspects responded to SOS calls on social media. They have been booked under section 420 of IPC and other relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act. They were sent to judicial custody after producing them at the district court.