Arrested illegal blood traders. Telegraph picture

Patna, April 13: Unregistered and illegal blood banks are not the only ones involved in blood trade. Even blood banks registered with the health department are involved in the business, said the police today.

Without naming any blood bank, a senior police officer told The Telegraph that in the course of their investigations they had discovered that registered blood banks in Patna also bought blood illegally from professional donors.

There are six blood banks in the city — Patna Medical College and Hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Jai Prabha Hospital, Mahavir Cancer Institute and Red Cross blood bank.

“We cannot tell you the names. But we know that there are some registered blood banks that buy blood from professional donors and then sell it. We have information about this. The case is being investigated at present. We want to be absolutely sure before taking any action,” a police officer told The Telegraph.

On March 31, the police had raided three illegal blood banks in the capital that were being run out of private tenements. The employees of these illegal establishments and professional blood donors had been arrested during raids.

In the course of interrogations, the arrested persons told the police that even registered blood banks were involved in the shady business.

The police officer also said identifying a professional donor is almost impossible.

“It is a very sensitive case and needs a lot of investigation. The first thing is to identify the professional blood donors who are roped in. But that is not easy, as their identity is well protected,” said the officer.

He added: “We are investigating the matter. As soon as we are sure of it, there shall be raids.”

The three illegal blood banks that the police had raided earlier are Suryapali Clinic on Ashok Rajpath under Pirbhore police station, and the houses of Mohammed Hafiz and Paras Nath Paswan in Makhaniya Kuan area.

Eight employees of these illegal establishments were arrested. Six donors — most of them rickshawpullers or small shopkeepers — were also nabbed. Most of them had volunteered to donate blood as they were in dire need of money. The agents of the illegal blood banks had lured them in.

A source said there could be a nexus between the illegal blood banks and their legal counterparts.

The arrested men had named nursing homes in the city, like Kumar Nursing Home, Khan Nursing Home and Aman Nursing Home in Makhaniya Kuan, Ashirwad Nursing Home and National Nursing Home in Kankerbagh that were steady customers for the illegal blood banks. They usually bought blood at the rate of Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 per pouch.

“We are investigating the matter and shall take necessary steps as soon as we have concrete evidence,” said a police officer.