Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Journalism of Courage
How Keytruda was stolen from private hospitals, sold to desperate cancer patients
17 including 4 staff members of leading hospitals arrested; Keytruda among drugs stolen, diverted.
The Hathras police said the girl had been staying at her maternal uncle’s house and returned home around four months ago. (File Photo)
The Delhi Police has arrested 17 people, including four staff members of leading private hospitals, for allegedly selling counterfeit and illegally diverted anti-cancer medicines, including the blockbuster drug Keytruda, to cancer patients across six metropolitan cities.
Police said the drugs were allegedly sourced through three channels: diversion of medicines from government institutions and warehouses, including stocks procured for beneficiaries of the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS); theft of anti-cancer drugs, vials and packaging material from private hospitals; and the manufacture of counterfeit medicines.
The Indian Express, in association with the International Coalition of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), had carried a report in April exposing a similar counterfeit cancer-drug racket, in which fake Keytruda vials were sold to vulnerable patients at discounted prices. The investigation revealed serious loopholes in drug disposal and hospital oversight, putting desperate cancer patients at great risk.
“The accused themselves made counterfeit drugs by imitating the vial, the packaging and using fake batch numbers. They filled it with sterilised water and sold it as real drugs to desperate patients at a discounted price,” a senior police official said.
The drugs seized include Keytruda, Opdyta, Darzalex, Imfinzi, Erbitux, Gazyva, Bavencio and Adcetris, which are used in targeted therapies and immunotherapies for blood cancers, lung cancer, other solid tumours and certain specific cancers.
The cost of the drugs ranges from roughly Rs 15,000 to Rs 2 lakh per vial or injection.
“Five hundred and eighty-eight filled vials, six empty vials and seven empty boxes of anti-cancer injections have been recovered so far,” Aditya Gautam, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime, said.
Story continues below this ad
Police said they were probing the alleged diversion of anti-cancer drugs from CGHS stocks, particularly in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. “Government employees at these CGHS centres will be questioned as to how these drugs were diverted into the market,” the senior police official said.
Delhi Police have conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations in Delhi and Navi Mumbai in connection with the case. “The medicines were procured without valid invoices, purchase records, drug licences or other required documentation and stored at residential and other premises before being circulated through intermediaries,” Gautam said.
Investigators also seized original cartons and empty medicine boxes that were allegedly retained and reused for repackaging, police said.
“The batch numbers, MRP details and other identifying markings were removed using chemicals such as acetone to conceal the source and identity of the medicines,” a police officer said.
Story continues below this ad
The investigation team has also seized registers and diaries containing details of medicine transactions and cash dealings, police said.
Among those arrested are Anand Kumar, 42, of Noida, from whose possession police said they recovered 337 anti-cancer vials and a large quantity of other medicines; Deepak, also known as Ravi, 33, of Faridabad, a former personal assistant to an oncologist, from whose residence 108 vials and Rs 6,50,000 were recovered; and Mayank Garg, 35, of Gurugram, from whom 55 suspected anti-cancer vials were recovered.
Police also arrested Jaswant Sharma, 42, a nursing-qualified employee working as a nursing in-charge in the oncology department of a hospital, who allegedly removed anti-cancer vials from the hospital for further supply.
Two other accused, Ramdas Satish Kumar, 42, and Malugari Srinath Reddy, 35, both from Hyderabad, allegedly misappropriated anti-cancer medicines meant for patients and supplied them to other members of the network, police said.
Story continues below this ad
Another accused, Srinivasulu Kalva, 52, a medical store operator in Hyderabad, allegedly received medicines from a hospital and supplied them further, police said.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Advertisement
Live Blog
Advertisement