Asif, originally from Radhna village under Kithaur police station in Meerut, is on the radar of the Ghaziabad Police in a case involving the alleged trafficking of narcotic cough syrup. According to villagers and preliminary inputs, Asif has been supplying contraband cough syrup to Gulf countries for the past five years and now operates his network while living in Dubai. Within a short period, he is said to have built crores worth of assets through hotels and transport businesses.
Police action intensifies after Asif’s name surfaces in cough syrup trafficking
The Ghaziabad Police are searching for Asif, who is an accused in a recent case of narcotic cough syrup trafficking. Officials say that the local police have not yet received formal information from other districts regarding his activities.
However, his alleged involvement in the trade has expanded over the past five years, prompting investigative agencies to map his network and international contacts.
From a canter driver to a millionaire — the dramatic rise
Villagers say Asif was a simple canter (mini-truck) driver about eight years ago. Nearly a decade back, he used to drive trucks in Kuwait. After one of his friends died abroad, Asif returned to India and married the friend’s widow. He sold her property in Dehradun and purchased a canter.
During this time, he got involved in supplying cough syrup with a local man named Nadeem, who was allegedly trafficking codeine-based syrup. In 2016, when Nadeem was arrested by the Narcotics Department, the entire network reportedly shifted to Asif.
Later, he married the lawyer who was handling Nadeem’s case. Meanwhile, his first wife died under suspicious circumstances.
Dubai base, hotels and transport cover — the alleged hub of operations
According to villagers, Asif moved to Dubai in 2020, where he took two hotels on lease and expanded his business. Alongside, he continued his transport operations, which allegedly served as a cover for the smuggling of narcotic cough syrup to Gulf nations.
Within a few years, he reportedly opened hotels in Australia and France as well. He is also said to own a bar in Kolkata. Villagers claim that Asif amassed property worth ₹8,000–10,000 crore in just eight years.
Family ties, locked house in village, rising curiosity
Asif is the third among five brothers. Two of his brothers are canter drivers, one runs a hotel in Noida, while another is said to be mentally unwell.
Despite living permanently in Dubai with his wife, Asif visited the village about seven months ago and stayed briefly before returning. His house in the village remains locked, but discussions about him now stretch from Radhna to Dubai.
From illegal firearms to drug trafficking — Radhna’s troubled reputation returns
Radhna village in Kithaur has long been notorious for illegal firearm manufacturing. Police have busted such units several times in the past.
However, after a police outpost was established earlier this year, the illegal arms activity reduced significantly. Now, with Asif’s alleged involvement in narcotic cough syrup trafficking coming to light, the village has once again hit the headlines, and Ghaziabad Police are conducting raids to trace him.
