Ahmedabad Police Uncover Adulterated Blood Plasma Supply, Four Arrested
The Special Operation Group of Ahmedabad Rural Police has uncovered a scheme involving adulterated blood plasma bags intended for a pharmaceutical company in Changodar. Four individuals, including the alleged mastermind, have been arrested, officials said on Tuesday.
Blood plasma is a critical component used in life-saving medicines and treatments. The adulteration of such supplies poses a serious risk to public health. Police initiated the operation based on intelligence that some individuals were tampering with medical supplies for illegal financial gain.
According to officials, the investigation began after tips were received by Assistant Sub-Inspector Mukeshsinh Dolatsinh and Constable Merubha Ghanshyamsinh. They placed a suspect under surveillance within the jurisdiction of the Changodar police station.
The prime accused, identified as Dineshbhai Umabhai Chaudhary, a resident of Banaskantha, previously worked as a blood plasma collection executive at pharmaceutical firms. Police allege that he used his technical knowledge to orchestrate the scam. He was arrested along with Jitendra Solanki and Rafik Khalifa, who worked as driver and co-driver of a plasma collection transport vehicle.
The group's method, as described by police, involved the transport team alerting Chaudhary whenever they collected pure plasma from blood banks in Maharashtra. Before delivering the consignment to the pharmaceutical company, they would divert the vehicle to Chaudhary's residence, remove the high-quality plasma units, and replace them with adulterated bags to match the order quantity.
Following the initial raid, a case was registered at Changodar Police Station under sections 316(3), 338(2), 125, 276, 328(4), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The accused were produced in court and remanded to police custody. Subsequently, another key conspirator, Mohan Dajiba Gaikwad from Maharashtra, was arrested.
Police seized materials worth Rs 12,06,000, including 1,140 blood plasma units valued at approximately Rs 11,00,000, a deep freezer, three chemical bottles, a sealing machine, 34 empty plasma bags, and a Mahindra Bolero pickup truck used in the crime.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the adulterated plasma distribution and any potential harm to patients.
