Ahmedabad: The police have arrested three persons for alleged black marketing of oxygen cylinders, while three others have been nabbed for illegally storing 35 vials of Remdesivir in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city, an official said on Saturday.
Acting on a tip-off, officials from the city crime branch raided a godown in Sarkhej area and seized 39 oxygen cylinders on Friday, the official said.
The team nabbed three persons who were allegedly involved in selling oxygen cylinders at inflated prices to COVID-19 patients, he said.
“They were selling six-litre capacity cylinders for Rs 15,000 each and the 10-litre ones for Rs 25,000 each. They did not have the permit to store or sell medical oxygen cylinders,” the official said.
These cylinders were allegedly stored by one Zaid Junani, the owner of Gujarat Fire Systems, at the godown of Gujarat Safety, a company owned by his father Aslam Junani, he said, adding that the duo is yet to be arrested.
“During interrogation, the arrested accused Uvesh Memon, Toufiq Sheikh and Mohammad Ashraf Sheikh revealed that they had been selling medical oxygen since April 25 and had sold at least 200 cylinders so far,” the official said.
The police have recovered 28 six-litre capacity cylinders, five 10-litre ones, apart from six empty cylinders from the accused, he said.
Both companies did not have a permit to store or sell oxygen cylinders from the commissioner of food and drugs, he added.
The accused have been booked under sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 420 (cheating), among other provisions of the IPC, Essential Commodities Act and Disaster Management Act.
In another development, the city crime branch on Friday arrested owners of a city-based medicine distribution company for illegally storing 35 vials of Remdesivir in their godown, medical store and office, an official said.
The police have arrested owners of Ahmedabad-based Anand Medicine Pharmaceutical Distributors Chirag Shah and Sandip Mehta as well as one Jayesh Bhavsar, he said.
The accused also had 32 prescription documents in their possession, the official said, adding that the trio has been booked under relevant sections of the Essential Commodities Act and Disaster Management Act.