The Intelligence Ministry said it has detected and disbanded an organized network of medicine traders and dealers that used to sell medication for the treatment of COVID-19 illegally and in violation of the official health and medicine regulations.

Being in cahoots with a number of wrongdoers in medical centers, those arrested obtained the coronavirus medicines from the quota of products given to the health centers and sold them in the black market at exorbitant prices, it said.

Demand for medical supplies and health products has grown in Iran in recent months following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Iran’s Judiciary Chief Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Raeisi has ordered severe punishment for hoarding pharmaceutical and health products as Iranian organizations and government bodies are heavily engaged in efforts to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

The health of people would never be up for bargain, Raeisi has said, noting that hoarding medical commodities in the current circumstances is playing with the lives of people and could not be forgiven by any means.