Court sends accused to jail, arrested for selling coronavirus vaccine

KARACHI: Police produced another accused in a local court in the case pertaining to selling coronavirus vaccine to private customers at their homes, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Police produced accused Abdul Samad in the court of Judicial Magistrate South today. The court sent the accused to jail on judicial remand.

Two co-accused, deputy superintendent vaccination Tahira Banu and storekeeper vaccination centre Waqas, have got interim bails in the case for Rs. 30,000 surety bond each.

Police said that three accused  have already been arrested in the case.

South district Police had earlier arrested two accused involved in illegal Covid-19 vaccination.

The director of a health services providing firm and an employee were arrested in a sting operation by the Preedy Police, an official said.

“The accused have confessed that they used to visit homes and administer Pfizer and other coronavirus vaccines to people for cash,” according to police.

“We were charging 15,000 rupees for per dose of Pfizer vaccine,” accused told police. The accused were providing per dose of Sinopharm vaccine for 7,660 rupees and Cansino for Rs. 4,500, police said.

“We have administered vaccines to more than 60 persons till now,” they confessed. “Four government officials have also been involved with us,” they said.

“The police searching for the accused providing stolen vaccine doses to arrested men,” officials said. An investigation has been launched after filing the case, according to police.

Amid surge in Delta variant of coronavirus cases, the government is striving hard to ensure vaccine procurement and vaccination of maximum population of the country.