Manipur Police arrest 3 for smuggling fake COVISHIELD & REMDESIVIR to Myanmar

By Devabrata Dutta 

IMPHAL: The Manipur Police have arrested three persons on August 22 from the Canchipur area for smuggling COVID-19 related medicines to neighbouring country Myanmar through Moreh, which are found to be fake.

"Expert opinion has come from Director Family Welfare, Nodal Officer that the batch numbers of the seized COVISHIELD are not procured in the state as well as not manufactured by SII hence declared fake," said Luxmi Devi Thingbaijam, MPS, SDPO Singjamei talking with InsideNE.

Acting on an input, a joint team of Singjamei Police and NAB-PS rushed to the Canchipur area near Heijingang Super Market along NH-2 and conducted frisking and checking.

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The COVID-19 related medicines were found in a Maruti Van coming from north to south direction in a "very suspicious manner" and police have rounded up the driver of the vehicle, identified as Mohammad Feroz Khan (30), and the other occupant Imran Khan (22). Both are residents of Moreh.

The medicines were carried in two boxes and in the preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the medicines were supposed to be transported to Myanmar.

Following their leads, the police have arrested another suspect Subhamkumar Anand (23), who hails from Bihar, as well.

The police have recovered as many as 100 bottles of COVISHIELDs, 48 packets of DESREM Rx Remdesivir, Lyophilized powder, two Mobile phones along with SIM Cards.

None of the suspects could produce any valid documents of the items in their possession on asked and the police have arrested them.

According to suspect Shubham Kumar, the seized items were collected from Imphal Airport on August 19 and were supposed to be shipped from Delhi via flight under the instruction of one Gutu of Moreh.

Reportedly, a local court has remanded the suspects to police custody till Friday.

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