&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Cough syrup racket busted in Uttar Pradesh; 3.5 lakh bottles seized, 32 arrested as government forms SIT to probe")
A major racket involving the illegal diversion of codeine-based cough syrups to Nepal and Bangladesh has been busted in Uttar Pradesh, leading to the arrest of 32 people and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The operation, launched after crucial inputs from the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), exposed a network of “super stockists” accused of funnelling tightly regulated cough syrups into illicit cross-border markets.
Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishna said the crackdown has so far resulted in the seizure of nearly 3.5 lakh bottles, worth an estimated value of ₹4.5 crore. Evidence suggests these consignments were being transported across the India–Nepal and India–Bangladesh borders. Investigators are currently mapping financial transactions and tracking the flow of money linked to the illegal trade.
Three key stockists, Bhola Jaiswal from Varanasi, Vibhor Rana from Saharanpur, and Saurabh Tyagi from Ghaziabad, have been arrested, while two more high-level suppliers remain under scrutiny. The case involves violations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Following the initial alert, teams from the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) and several drug inspectors inspected multiple manufacturing facilities, including units in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and a Ranchi-based distributor, Shaili Traders.
Officials gathered production and distribution data, which revealed unusually high volumes of codeine syrup being supplied to select outlets in Uttar Pradesh. Preliminary findings indicate that certain companies and individuals were diverting codeine phosphate formulations for non-medical and recreational use, an offence treated as organised crime. Based on confirmed violations, FIRs have been registered against 128 establishments in 28 districts under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the NDPS Act.
Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad said the state government views the matter with utmost seriousness and has directed the formation of an SIT led by an Inspector General-rank officer to conduct a detailed probe. He added that no deaths in Uttar Pradesh have been linked to codeine syrups. Asked about reports that accused Shubham Jaiswal may have escaped abroad, DGP Krishna said extradition proceedings would be pursued if necessary.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also joined the investigation. Officials dismissed online claims alleging interference in the probe. According to reports, an individual named Asif, is believed to be closely associated with Shubham Jaiswal, as playing an active role in supplying illegal consignments to Bangladesh.
FSDA Commissioner Roshan Jacob clarified that codeine-containing syrups fall under Schedule H, meaning they are prescription-based but not banned. She emphasised that violations arise when the drugs are stocked or distributed in bulk without proper documentation. She also noted that the action in Uttar Pradesh has no connection with the recent child deaths in Madhya Pradesh linked to the Coldrif cough syrup, which has since been banned.
