Varanasi : The crackdown on the sprawling cough syrup smuggling syndicate has entered a crucial phase, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launching direct action against the kingpin, Shubham Jaiswal. ED teams on Friday pasted official notices on two of Jaiswal’s properties—located at Prahlad Ghat and Sigra in Varanasi—marking the beginning of a full-scale money-laundering probe.
Simultaneously, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has intensified its search for Vikas Singh Narve, a central figure in the network who has been absconding since the racket was exposed. Agencies suspect he may have escaped to Dubai, mirroring Jaiswal’s own flight abroad.
Who is Vikas Singh Narve? From a small village to rapid accumulation of wealth
Vikas Singh Narve hails from Narve village under Bardah police station area of Azamgarh district. Barely 30 years old, he rose from ordinary circumstances to suddenly amass significant assets in just a few years—a rise that had long raised eyebrows locally.
According to sources, Narve is closely associated with several influential individuals from Azamgarh whose names emerged during investigations into the high-profile Ajit Singh murder case in Lucknow.
His name surfaced prominently during the interrogation of arrested agent Amit Singh Tata, who identified Vikas as the “link-man” responsible for connecting multiple individuals to kingpin Shubham Jaiswal.
The syndicate’s critical connector: Why Vikas Narve’s role matters
Interrogation details shared by the STF reveal that:
- It was Vikas Narve who first arranged the meeting between Amit Singh Tata and Shubham Jaiswal.
- Through Vikas, shell entities such as Devkripa Medical Agency (Dhanbad) and Shree Medicals (Varanasi) were set up, allegedly used for largescale procurement and diversion of cough syrup consignments.
- Later, Amit Tata introduced dismissed constable Alok Singh to the syndicate—but the initial chain again originated from Vikas.
Investigators believe Narve did not operate as a ground-level handler, but rather as a “facilitator” and “network builder”, making him indispensable to the structural functioning of the racket. His arrest, officers say, could unlock deeper financial and operational layers that remain untraced.
The Dubai trail deepens: Did Vikas flee abroad after the crackdown?
Kingpin Shubham Jaiswal is already believed to have fled to Dubai with his close associates. Intelligence agencies are now mapping his movements and potential safe houses.
As for Vikas, suspicion heightened after investigators discovered:
- He skipped his grandmother’s terahvin (final rites) in late October—a highly unusual move in the village.
- He sensed his name would surface once the network began to collapse.
- There has been no trace of his physical presence or mobile activity in and around the village for several days.
STF teams suspect he may have slipped out of India soon after the racket was exposed. Immigration records, passport usage and airport trail data are now being analysed to confirm his possible Dubai escape.
ED steps in: Strong evidence of money laundering, assets under scrutiny
The ED’s notices pasted on Jaiswal’s Varanasi properties have formally activated the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) proceedings.
Investigators are scrutinising:
- The legitimacy of the properties
- Fund flow patterns linked to the syndicate
- Banking transfers routed through dummy medical firms
- Possible hawala transactions and overseas remittances derived from illegal cough syrup sales
Sources indicate that multiple accounts, benami assets and cross-border financial movements are already under the agency’s scanner.
What’s next: Custodial interrogations, inter-agency coordination and statewide raids
The STF is now preparing to:
- Continue the manhunt for Vikas Singh Narve
- Conduct further jail interrogations of Amit Singh Tata and Alok Singh
- Seek their police custody remand for detailed questioning
Meanwhile, coordination between ED and STF has been strengthened for sharing digital evidence, bank trails and seized communication data.
Officials believe the network spans beyond Uttar Pradesh, extending into Bihar, Jharkhand and parts of Mumbai, suggesting a wider illegal supply chain yet to be fully uncovered.
