Bengaluru: Pharmacy staffers held for selling Remdesivir in black market

Police said the suspects were selling the emergency-use drug, believed to quicken the recovery of Covid patients, for Rs 15,000 when it is priced at Rs 3,400 to Rs 3,490

The Hennur police on Saturday arrested two people for the black-marketing of Remdesivir, the antiviral drug used to treat severe cases of Covid-19.

Police have seized 17 vials of the drug from them.

The suspects — Shanmukaiah Swamy, 32, of Malleswaram and Malathesh, 31, of Sanjeevini Nagar — work in pharmacies at two different private hospitals.

Hennur police inspector M Vasantha Kumar received information that the duo had illegally procured Remdesivir from their hospitals and was trying to sell them at Hennur Cross for a rate way higher than the market price. The team went to the spot and detained the suspects.

Read | Additional Drug Controllers involved in illegal Remdesvir sale in Karnataka: Ramalinga Reddy

In all, police seized 17 vials worth Rs 57,980 from them. Police said the suspects were selling the emergency-use drug, believed to quicken the recovery of Covid-19 patients, for Rs 15,000 when it is priced at Rs 3,400 to Rs 3,490.

The suspects have been remanded in judicial custody. Further investigation is on.

The incident has come days after hospitals began reporting a severe shortage of the drug.

Police in Karnataka have arrested over 90 people and registered as many as 38 cases for selling Remdesivir in the black market.

Karnataka DG&IGP Praveen Sood has vowed to continue the crackdown on the black-marketing of the antiviral drug.