Kolkata, August 25: The Anti-Corruption Branch of West Bengal Police has arrested three lab assistants from a government hospital on charges of alleged blood trafficking.
The arrested individuals work at the Panskura Super Specialty Hospital in East Midnapore district. However, the police have not yet disclosed their identities.
Authorities suspect that these three are part of a larger syndicate. Consequently, the Anti-Corruption Branch is interrogating them to uncover more individuals and networks involved in the case.
Investigations revealed that the accused had a unique modus operandi. According to a police officer, whenever they received information about blood donation camps organized by clubs or social organizations, they would approach the organizers and purchase donor cards at a significantly low price, typically between 100 to 150 rupees per card.
Using these donor cards, they would obtain one unit of blood for free from government blood banks. Subsequently, this blood was sold to the relatives of patients in urgent need at inflated prices.
The police noted that the rarer the blood type, the higher the price charged. Investigators claim that the money earned from selling blood was shared among the three accused.
Authorities suspect that a larger network is operating in this case. As a result, investigative agencies are monitoring the activities of various clubs and organizations that host blood donation camps.
Earlier this month, the Calcutta High Court directed the state health department to expedite investigations into 11 private blood banks accused of serious irregularities, including illegal sales of blood and plasma.
The health department has prohibited these 11 private blood banks from organizing any blood donation camps in the state until further notice. One of these banks challenged the health department’s order in the Calcutta High Court. The case was heard by Justice Krishna Rao’s bench.
The court refused to intervene in the investigation, instructing the health department to complete the inquiry within the stipulated timeframe.
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