Haryana Police arrested 67 people over an 18-day period between April 23 and May 10, according to state Director General of Police Manoj Yadava, following crackdowns on the black-marketing of medical oxygen and remdesivir injections. Authorities registered 33 separate First Information Reports (FIRs) and seized 409 oxygen cylinders and 130 remdesivir vials across multiple districts as surging COVID-19 cases created severe medical supply shortages.
Oxygen Cylinder Seizures and Arrests
According to Haryana Police data, officers registered 13 separate FIRs across seven different districts in connection with the illegal trade of medical oxygen. These raids resulted in the arrest of 19 individuals and the recovery of 409 oxygen cylinders. Director General of Police Manoj Yadava stated that individuals sought to exploit soaring demand by selling life-saving equipment at heavily inflated prices. To combat these practices, law enforcement established dedicated helpline numbers, including mobile number 7087089947 and toll-free number 1800-180-1314, allowing citizens to report illicit sales directly.
Remdesivir Black-Marketing Crackdown
In a parallel operation targeting antiviral medications, state police lodged 20 FIRs across 11 different districts, leading to the arrest of 48 people involved in the black-marketing of remdesivir vials. According to official figures reported by the Hindustan Times, authorities recovered 130 vials of the critical COVID-19 therapeutic from the suspects’ possession. Police launched the statewide raids after receiving persistent intelligence inputs on helpline numbers indicating that unauthorized brokers were hoarding drugs and reselling them to desperate families at exorbitant rates.
Home Delivery Protocols and Administrative Orders
V Umashankar, principal secretary to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, directed deputy commissioners during a review meeting that home delivery of oxygen cylinder refills to COVID-19 patients in home isolation must not remain pending for more than 12 hours. According to official directives, district administrations must ensure that patients who receive an initial cylinder are supplied with timely refills. Furthermore, officials instructed deputy commissioners to continuously update hospital treatment data on designated portals and depute doctors to actively check on the health of residents recovering at home.
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