Twenty-five vials of the much sought-after antiviral drug Remdesivir were seized from three suspected black marketeers in the city on Tuesday.
Among the suspects is Sanjeev Kumar, 32, a pharmaceutical distributor based in Bommanahalli, South Bengaluru, said Basaveshwara Nagar police inspector E Yerriswamy, who had received a tip about the black marketeering.
An assistant sub-inspector contacted Kumar over the phone by posing as a customer on May 24. Kumar referred him to Prateek, 37, a broker from Doddathoguru.
When the police officer contacted Prateek, he quoted Rs 20,000 for a vial of Remdesivir, up to five times its MRP. The policeman bargained down the price to Rs 10,000 and placed the order for two vials. He paid Rs 10,000 on PhonePe and promised to pay the rest at the time of delivery.
Prateek sent his associate Abhijith, 20, to deliver Remdesivir. When Abhijith turned up, the policeman detained him. Based on his information, police subsequently arrested Kumar and Prateek. Police also raided Kumar’s store and seized another 23 vials of Remdesivir.
Kumar had procured the drug from a pharmaceutical distributor in Kerala, police said.