Injections black market: Accused’s Wadala distribution office sealed

THANE: The anti-extortion cell investigating the sale of injections for Covid-19 treatment in the black market has sealed the office of the main accused in the case—a Wadala-based pharmaceuticals distributor.

Police had cracked the case on Tuesday and arrested five persons, including two medical representatives and a former pharmacist, and seized injections Remdesivir and Tocilizumab to treat Covid as well as others for cancer patients and abortion kits.
A police official said this reveals the accused’s black market sale was not restricted to Covid injections.
The investigation also showed the distributor, who is absconding, diverted the drugs for a few thousands each, and every accused got a share after sale at five times the actual rate, said Rajkumar Kothmire, senior inspector. Police said three teams have been formed to net the distributor who supplied the injections to the Navi Mumbai ringleader without a licence. “This is a welloiled cartel and medical representatives acted as mediators to bring in the leads, based on the fact that the Navi Mumbaibased former pharmacist got into the act and sold the medicines,” said Kothmire.
Police said this could be the tip of the iceberg as the accused may have numerous such chains working in tandem to sell the injections at a higher rate.