In a time of shortage of mask and sanitiser due to Coronavirus pandemic the Bandra crime branch unit 9 late on Monday night raided a godown near Air Cargo near international airport at Andheri and seized 25 lakh N-95 masks worth over Rs 15 crore and arrested four people in connection with this.
According to police report, the masks were seized in a police operation to check on black marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh along with Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, address to the media and said that the police had received a tip- off about that the masks being supplied for sale in the black market.
Beside this early on Tuesday the police officers has also raided three godowns in Bhiwandi and seized more mask from there.
All the four accused are the residents of Mumbai and they have been identified as Mihir Darshan Patel (36), Shahrukh Shaikh (23), Balaji Nadar (36) and Gulam Ali (30). The four arrested accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Essential Commodities Act, the hunt is on for two more, Deshmukh added.
Reportedly, the authorities have initiated the process of supplying the seized masks to government and civic-run hospitals in Mumbai in case of shortage, an officer said.
The raid comes at a time when masks are in heavy demand in the country since novel coronavirus cases started emerging in the country.
