PUNE: Five people, including a medical shop owner and a nurse, were arrested for alleged black-marketing of a key drug used in the treatment of mucormycosis or ‘black fungus’ in Pimpri Chinchwad area in Pune district of Maharashtra, police said on Wednesday.
The accused were selling a vial of Amphotericin B injection, used in the treatment of mucormycosis, for Rs 21,000 against the original price of Rs 7,814 a vial, and Bevacizumab injection, used in the treatment of Covid-19, for Rs 65,000 against its actual price of 54,000 a vial.
“We received information that some people were involved in black-marketing of the mucormycosis drug and were selling them at a higher price.
Accordingly, one of the accused was contacted with the help of a decoy customer,” said a police officer from Pimpri Chinchwad.
One of the accused offered to sell a vial of Amphotericin B at Rs 21,000, following which he was detained.
“During his interrogation, he spilled the names of others including a medical shop owner and a nurse,” the officer said.
All five have been arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Drugs Prices Control Order and the Essential Commodities Act, the officer added.
Black marketing of black fungus drug: 5 held
