Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a person who posed as a doctor and was selling vaccine for the treatment of coronavirus in Karachi's Defence Housing Authority neighbourhood.

“Defence police has arrested one fake doctor, Syed Didar Ali, who was malignantly and fraudulently selling fake vaccine for COVID-19 at West Point Clinic, DHA Phase 2 Extension," said Clifton Superintendent of Police Imran Mirza.

Police have registered a first information report against the suspect under Sections 419 (cheating by impersonation) and 420 (cheating or dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

No vaccine for COVID-19, which emerged late last year in China, has so far been developed, though nearly 35 companies and academic institutions are racing to create one, according to The Guardian. Even then, experts say the earliest a vaccine can be developed and deployed will be in a year to a year and a half.

Man held for hoarding sanitisers

Also on Monday, a shopkeeper who was allegedly hoarding hand sanitisers in DHA was arrested and 288 liquid hand wash bottles were seized from him.

Acting on a tip-off, Defence police arrested Haris Saleem, a supplier of sanitisers, while he was going to store 288 of the bottles.

Police said that the suspect had purchased the bottles for Rs600 each and was selling them for Rs1,000 each.

A case has been registered against him under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the PPC.

5 principals held over opening schools

Police also conducted actions in different parts of Malir and detained five principals on charges of opening schools despite the Sindh government's announcement of closure of all educational institutions until May 31, according to a senior police officer.

All the held persons were booked under Section 188 of the PPC.