Published Feb 03, 2024 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 03, 2024 | 8:00 AM
Stocks of human plasma, whole human blood, and human serum seized from Haemo Service Laboratories. (Supplied)
On Friday, 2 February, the Telangana Drug Control Administration unearthed a clandestine operation involving the unauthorised procurement of “human plasma” and “whole human blood” from multiple blood banks in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
This illicit racket also entailed the unlawful stockpiling and sale of these blood products to various entities.
The entity, identified as Haemo Service Laboratories, is accused of partaking in these illicit activities, including the unauthorised collection of human plasma, whole human blood, and human serum from multiple blood banks.
This unlawful enterprise extended to stockpiling these blood products at a residential building in the Moosapet area of Hyderabad.
Moreover, Haemo Service Laboratories purportedly engaged in the illegal repackaging of human plasma, whole human blood, and human serum within the residential building, maintaining highly unhygienic conditions.
They then peddling these repackaged products at significantly inflated prices to various entities, blatantly flouting the law.
“We carried out a raid at Haemo Service Laboratories, located in a residential building in Moosapet. During the raid, we found huge stocks of human plasma bags and bottles stocked in the freezers, stocks of human serum and human blood were also found in the freezers,” Assistant Director of DCA G Sreenivas told South First.
He revealed that the accused, R Raghavendra Naik, has allegedly been operating Haemo Service Laboratories for the past eight years in the apartment.
During the raid, Naik disclosed that he illicitly procured human plasma, whole human blood, and human serum from various blood banks, including:
Officials also uncovered the sale of human plasma, whole human blood, and human serum to:
“Naik was supplying blood products to these pharmaceutical companies for their experimental work. There have been prior incidents of sale of blood and plasma to hospitals, but this is the first time we have detected the involvement of large companies,” Sreenivas told South First.
During the raid, DCA officials ascertained that Naik procured more than 6,000 units from blood banks since 2016 and allegedly sold them at substantial profits illegally.
DCA investigators found that a human plasma bag (150 ml), illegally procured from blood banks at ₹700, was sold at ₹3,800 to the pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, in-vitro diagnostic kits for HIV, HCV, HBsAg, VDRL, and Malarial Parasite were discovered stocked at the premises.
DCA officials seized the stocks found at the premises along with certain documents.
“Further investigation shall be carried out and action shall be taken as per the law against all the offenders,” said the DCA.
