Man cheats many on pretext of collecting Covid samples in Hyderabad, held

Mangalore Today News Network

Hyderabad, Jul 24, 2020: A man who allegedly cheated several people on the pretext of collecting swab samples for COVID-19 tests from their homes was arrested by Cyberabad police Friday.

 

Shivaratri Vishnu, a 24-year-old resident of Nizampet, on the outskirts of the city, who had earlier worked as a CT scan technician, decided to earn a quick buck amid the ongoing pandemic, said police.

On Thursday, he posted on Facebook: “Let me know if anyone needs COVID-19 test at home, Door to Door Service only in Hyderabad.” Calling himself a lab technician, he collected Rs 5,500 from each person who approached him on the contact number he provided.

“He has cheated around 10 people. He collected samples but would not send them for analysis. He just wanted to make some easy money,” said G Sundeep, Additional DCP(Special Operations Team) Cyberabad.

The man has been handed over to Gachibowli police station for further investigation. Police have seized five COVID-19 test kits from him.

Meanwhile, the Cyberabad SOT also busted a gang involved in blackmarketing generic versions of emergency drugs used in COVID-19 treatment. Police nabbed five persons and seized 15 injections of Covifor 100MG/20ML and one injection of Actemra 400MG/20 ML. Police also seized 64 cellphones and Rs 49,120 in cash from the accused. The SOT handed them over to Chandanagar police station for further investigation.

The gang comprises a medicine distributor, an assistant manager of a pharma company, a marketing executive of a healthcare provider, a man working at a corporate pharmacy, and a man working at a corporate hospital in Hyderabad. Police found that each injection was sold for anything around Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000.

courtesy:IndianExpress