Hyderabad cops looking for people scammed by corona testing racketeer

Hyderabad: Police in Hyderabad are trying to track down people scammed by a lab technician who drew blood samples from them, promising to conduct COVID0-19 tests on them. They fear some of the samples they found at the apartment of the man may be COVID-19 positive.

Police officials said 10 persons from whom the man collected blood samples could be carrying the disease and could infect others if not identified quickly.

According to the police, S Vishnu, 24, who worked as a lab technician at a hospital in Nizampet village in Bachupally, advertised on Facebook saying that if anyone needed a Covid-19 test at home, he would take the samples at their doorstep.

Some people contacted Vishnu and he visited them wearing only a mask and took their blood samples plus his fee of Rs 5,500 from each.

The police received a tipoff about this unofficial testing and detained Vishnu. He was found to be storing the samples at his home. Five test tubes with blood samples and a mobile phone were seized from his possession.

A police official said, "It was a scam. The ads were meant only to make money. The sample collection was illegal. Further inquiries are underway about the persons who gave their blood samples and if they have any medical history."