Officials say thousands in India received fake coronavirus vaccines during scams

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Indian officials say thousands of people have been given fake coronavirus vaccines in fraud campaigns, CNN reported on Monday.

CNN News 18 reported that fraudulent vaccination centers occurred in late May and early June, as authorities launched their investigations after some fraud victims suspected their vaccination certificates.

A resident told the news source that one of the fake vaccination campaigns took place in a residential community where they had to pay in cash and no one showed any symptoms.

Vishal Thakur, a senior Mumbai police official, told CNN that 12 fake vaccination sites have been taken into custody in the city, saying that the fake doctors were using salt water to inject their victims.

Thakur said an estimated 2,500 people received fake vaccine shots with regulators taking $28,000 in fees charged, according to CNN.

It comes as India has been battling a second wave of the virus, which has infected millions of people and killed tens of thousands more, for nearly three months.

Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a centralized vaccine campaign in which the government will provide free vaccines to citizens, CNN reported.

Thakur told CNN they have arrested 14 people on suspicion of fraud, attempted murder, criminal conspiracy, and other charges in the vaccination fraud.

“The doctors have arrested us,” Thakur said. “They were using a hospital that produced fake certificates, vials and syringes.”

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