Illegal sale of Remdesivir injections prevented by Vigilance Dept in Vizag

In yet another case of illegal sale of Remdesivir injections, Vigilance officers and Drugs Control Administration officials jointly carried out raids on Wednesday, caught two illegal dealers of Remdesivir injections in Vizag.

According to the Vigilance and Enforcement Department Additional SP G Swaroopa Rani, M Ashok and B Durga Prasad from Anakapalle had been sending messages to people about the sale of Remedesvir injections through social media contacts. Acting on a tip, the team planned to trap the culprits. Drugs Control Inspector D Suneetha contacted them through phone and Durga Prasad asked her to contact a man named Rajana Amarnath at Waltair. When contacted, Amarnath came to give five Remdesivir injections which were found to be of Hetero brand. The injections were planned to be sold at Rs 27,000. “When asked about the injections, Amarnath said he collected them from his college friend Srinivasa Reddy of Hyderabad, who wanted to sell them through his friends. It was then the duo of Durga Prasad and Ashok started sending messages on social media,” said Swaroopa Rani.

5 Remdesivir injections were seized from their possession. A case was registered against them under Section 18 (c) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

Similar cases of illegal sale and supply of Remedisver and other covid injections have been caught by the Vigilance and Enforcement Department during this pandemic. As there has been a rise in Covid-19 cases in Vizag, demand for Remdesivir injections has become so high that the injection which is supposed to be sold at around Rs. 2,800, is available in the black market at exorbitant prices. The Vigilance teams have been conducting raids based on complaints by some families in Vizag who have been victims of the illegal sale of Remdesivir injections.