Police crackdown on O2, drug black marketers across NCR

Noida/Ghaziabad/New Delhi: While the whole Delhi-NCR region is starving for medical oxygen to treat Covid patients, incidents of black-marketing of oxygen cylinders are now coming to the fore, with two such cases being reported from Noida and Ghaziabad respectively, and several such instances in Delhi as well.

In two similar related incidents, four persons have been arrested separately by the Noida and Ghaziabad police for illegally storing oxygen gas cylinders in their godown and selling them at exorbitant prices. Police have recovered more than 100 small and large oxygen cylinders from the possession of accused persons.

The crackdown by Ghaziabad police arrested two persons from Kaila Bhatta area. The accused were identified as Aqil Saifi and Javed Malik, natives of Ghaziabad.

Cops said that the accused were selling these cylinders for over ten times of actual price.

"Police found that around 39 cylinders were recovered from Hindon Vihar while 63 cylinders were recovered from Kaila Bhatta area following police interrogations of accused. The accused had also kept cylinders at their residents and they have also been recovered by police" said Nipun Aggarwal, superintendent of police (city), Ghaziabad while adding that these cylinders will be provided to patients suffering from Covid and need oxygen support.

In Noida, two others were arrested for similarly blackmarketing oxygen cylinders in times of dire need.

Cops said that the arrested persons were identified as Arvind Kumar and Vivek Kumar, residents of sector 9. The police added they were working at an industrial oxygen gas filing centre and that they had recovered two cylinders carrying 47 litres of oxygen from their possession.

And in yet another instance, the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Sunday said it has arrested three persons for allegedly hoarding and blackmarketing three Remdesivir vials, 100 oximeters and 48 small oxygen cylinders and selling them at high rates.