Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India battles black market in used gloves and masks

INDIAN police are battling a booming black market in used face masks and surgical gloves scavenged in some cases from hospital refuse tips, as people scramble for cheap coronavirus protection.

Police in the western city of Navi Mumbai said Friday (28) that they seized from one gang 3.8 million pieces of refurbished single-use surgical gloves that were washed, dried and packed ready for sale.


"They sourced nearly 35 tonnes of used gloves from different hospitals and were preparing to sell it to dealers at throwaway prices," investigating officer Subhash Nikam said.

"They had managed to sell 6,000 to 10,000 pieces and were in touch with several buyers for the rest of the consignment," he said.

The four accused are facing initial charges of cheating and endangering lives by spreading a communicable disease.

Demand for personal protection equipment has soared in the country of 1.3 billion people, which on Friday saw the official tally of coronavirus infections hit 3.4 million with over 60,000 deaths.

Many experts say that with India not testing enough people and many deaths not properly recorded, the real toll could be considerably higher. Several antibody tests have borne this out.

Cheap alternative

Many Indians though cannot afford proper PPE and use cheap alternatives including a handkerchief or scarf wrapped around the mouth and nose.

Health authorities in the eastern state of Bihar said they too have busted several gangs in recent months involved in selling used facemasks collected from hospital dump-yards.

Thousands of masks have been seized that were washed and repacked before being sold to dealers across cities at cheap prices, the official said.

"We have conducted several raids in the state after receiving tip-offs about the sale of used facemasks,” an official from Bihar's health ministry said.

The illegal business is at a very small scale, he added, but poses a serious health hazard at a time when the country is reeling under the pandemic.

The virus spread had also fuelled a market for sub-standard sanitisers.

India had briefly faced a shortage of personal protection equipment before it imposed an export ban to meet the rising domestic demand, including from front line coronavirus workers.

Even before the pandemic India had a huge market for discarded medical equipment, including disposable syringes that have been long blamed for spread of infections like HIV and hepatitis.

More For You

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

We are living faster than ever before

AMG

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

Shiveena Haque

Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still

When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
sugary drinks and ice cream

Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019

iStock

Global warming may drive higher consumption of sugary drinks and ice cream, study warns

Highlights:

  • Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
  • Lower-income households most affected, research finds
  • Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
  • Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data

Sugary consumption rising with heat

People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.

Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.

Keep ReadingShow less
Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates
vegetables from sides to stars

Camellia Panjabi (Photo: Ursula Sierek)

Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates vegetables from sides to stars

RESTAURATEUR and writer Camellia Panjabi puts the spotlight on vegetables in her new book, as she said they were never given the status of a “hero” in the way fish, chicken or prawns are.

Panjabi’s Vegetables: The Indian Way features more than 120 recipes, with notes on nutrition, Ayurvedic insights and cooking methods that support digestion.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spotting the signs of dementia

Priya Mulji with her father

Spotting the signs of dementia

How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love

I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.

Keep ReadingShow less
HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

Mahesh Liloriya

The holy town of Ambaji witnessed a spiritually significant day on Sunday as His Holiness Siri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, London, performed the Dhwaja ritual at the historic Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths of India.

Keep ReadingShow less