Cops Bust Black Fungus Vaccine Sellers' Racket

A team of the task force of the Hyderabad police today arrested two different gangs which were involved in the sale of injections meant for the treatment of the deadly black fungus, cases of which have exploded in the wake of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of nine members from the two gangs have been arrested by the police - the first gang had five members and the second gang four. From them, the police were able to seize 28 Amphotericin-B injections.

Revealing further details of the gangs, Hyderabad Commissioner of Police Anjani Kumar stated that the gang members were selling the injections in the Banjara Hills and S R Nagar areas of the state capital.

He added that the accused were selling each injection for prices as high as Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000 to desperate customers.

Kumar also said that the primary accused of one of the gangs, one Srikanth, had been working as a medical representative and that he was selling the injections after receiving them from different medical firms.

"Srikanth formed a gang with four others to run an illegal business by looting people. The kingpin of the second gang has been identified as an individual named Balaswamy. We are still to apprehend another accused from Guntur who is currently on the run," the official said.

Making an example of the case, the CP warned those indulging in similar black marketing of Covid-19 treatment supplies that they would face stern police and legal action.