Dealers, hospitals staff behind black marketing of vials in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Fraudsters resorting to illegal sale of Remdesivir vials have been obtaining them through dealers and hospital staff. However, Amphotericin-B injections used in the treatment of black fungus have so far been obtained from the old stock of medical stores before the state government placed restrictions on their direct sale. As the demand for select medicines is rising, police are keeping a close watch on the illegal sales. So far, during the second wave, 128 cases have been registered in Telangana for illegal sale of medicines and other items used in the treatment of Covid-19.
Till date, city police arrested 12 persons indulging in the black marketing of Amphotericin-B injections and seized 12 vials of various brands from their possession. “As of now, the accused caught by our team are linked to hospitals and medical shops. Two doctors were among the accused. The offenders are selling the stock they had before government imposed regulation on sale of Amphotericin recently,” Task force inspector K Nageswara Rao said.

On Thursday, Kashaiah, 23, a function hall worker from Punjagutta, S Vinod Kumar Naik, 23, a private employee from Madhapur and Md Khaja Nizam, 30, a medical shop worker from Erragadda were arrested by the task force police for trying to sell five vials of Amphotericin-B each with Rs 305 MRP for Rs 50,000 a vial to needy customers suffering from black fungus.
“Kashaiah purchased the medicine few weeks ago, on the advice of a doctor for the treatment of his relative, but, it was not used. Recently, he heard about the huge demand for the medicine and contacted other accused to sell it for profit,” the inspector said.
Police reportedly caught another gang on Thursday night and seized 40 vials of Amphotericin-B from them.