Police arrested nine suspects and seized antiviral drugs used in treating Covid-19 that were allegedly stolen by a hospital manager for sale online by a gang.
Pol Col Neti Wongkularb, superintendent of the Consumer Protection Police, said yesterday the suspects were arrested in coordinated raids in Bangkok, Saraburi, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi on Tuesday.
Police seized 390 boxes each containing 100 favipiravir pills under the trademark Favir made by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation. The gang, he said, sold the medication online. A manager of a hospital in Bang Na illegally supplied the drug, which the hospital earlier acquired from the GPO.
The manager charged 1,600 baht per box and online vendors resold it at 4,000-8,000 baht per box. All names were withheld by police.
Supatra Boonserm, acting deputy secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration, said favipiravir must be administered under the close supervision of doctors and could not be sold directly to consumers.