Hyderabad: Four people, including two doctors, were arrested for black marketing drugs that are used for treating the Black Fungus infection among COVID-19 patients on Monday. On their arrest, the Hyderabad police seized six Liposomal Amphotericin B injections (fungilip 5p), four cell phones and an amount of Rs 29,600 from the accused.
According to the police, task force officials of the north zone team, in a decoy operation near Medicover hospital close to the state Secretariat detained the four accused persons for indulging in illegally procuring and selling Liposomal Amphotericin B injections or Fungilip 5p in black market for Rs 50,000 each vial, which were of 50 milligram.
The the original Maximum Retail Price is Rs 7,400. The four accused have been identified as Dr. Dubal Ramesh, Dr. Lingala Raghavendra Goud, Jallau Srikanth and 23-year-old Mohd Ahmed. Another accused named Vutla Saidulu is still absconding.
According to the Hyderabad Police, as Liposomal Amphotericin B injections are used to treat black fungal infection, the drug is in high demand. Due to the high number of COVID-19 cases being reported, there is a shortage in the city, as a result of which the accused decided to illegally procure the drug at a low price and sell it for a much higher rat, at about Rs. 50,000 each vial.
The police said that after a tip-off on Monday, task force officials from the north zone team laid a trap and apprehended the accused, who were arrested and taken into custody. The seized material was handed over to the Saidabad police station for further action.
