COVID-19 in Delhi: Over 600 cases filed, more than 300 arrested for pandemic-related crimes, say police

New Delhi: The Delhi Police has registered more than 600 cases and arrested over 300 people in connection with Covid-related crimes, officials said on Saturday. According to the data shared by police, 109 cases of alleged hoarding and black-marketing of oxygen cylinders and coronavirus drugs were registered between 13 April and 18 May. While 492 cases of alleged cheating of people on the pretext of providing them Covid-related help were lodged during the same period, police said. A total of 312 people have been apprehended, they said, adding most of the arrests were made outside the national capital. Police have blocked around 300 bank accounts and more than 900 phone numbers. The cheated amount recovered during this period would be in crores, they said. A total of 3,152 items, including 557 Remdesivir injections, 808 oxygen concentrators, 537 fire extinguisher cylinders, 683 pulse oximeters and 288 oxygen cylinders have been seized, they said. The data will be updated as the Delhi Police and Cyber Cell helplines continue to receive several calls every day about these scams, police said. The Delhi Police Crime Branch, Cyber Prevention Awareness and Detection (CyPAD) and district cyber units have been working on these cases. Teams have been sent to several states in order to arrest the accused, police said. Recently, police caught four people from Bihar for allegedly duping people across the country on the pretext of providing oxygen cylinders and concentrators. The accused cheated more than 300 people under the guise of helping them. Police have seized three bank accounts which the gang used for transactions worth over Rs 1.30 crores.