Fresh revelations in Uttar Pradesh’s illicit codeine cough syrup trade have put the state’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) under scrutiny, with investigators uncovering suspected involvement of departmental officials. At least five assistant commissioners and several drug inspectors are now facing imminent action, as probes indicate the existence of a wide trafficking network extending from major UP cities to Nepal and Bangladesh.
Evidence Points to Departmental Involvement
The FSDA launched its investigation from Lucknow on October 10. As the inquiry expanded, multiple layers of irregularities surfaced, including indications of official collusion. Following the recovery of a large consignment of codeine syrup in Kanpur, the assistant commissioner and drug inspector posted there were removed and attached to the state headquarters. Sources said strong evidence has also emerged against assistant commissioners previously posted in Varanasi and Agra, whose roles are now under serious doubt.
Trafficking Network Linked to Nepal–Bangladesh Routes
Investigators found that major urban centres in Uttar Pradesh were being used as transit hubs to dispatch codeine syrup to smuggling networks operating across Nepal and Bangladesh. The contraband was being misused as a narcotic substance. Officials said raids and interrogations revealed the involvement of multiple organised groups whose activities may have been aided by compromised officers, enabling the illicit trade to flourish.
Border-District Inspectors Under Watch
Based on leads obtained during the probe, departmental teams have begun reviewing the conduct of drug inspectors posted in border districts. Inspectors in Chandauli, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Ghazipur, Ballia, Siddharthnagar, Maharajganj, Chitrakoot, Lalitpur and other boundary regions are under internal scrutiny. Their potential links with key syndicate members are also being examined.
Two Key Businessmen Arrested in Kolkata
In a coordinated crackdown, the SIT under the Commissionerate arrested Prateek Mishra, proprietor of Nishant Pharma, and Vishal Sonkar, owner of Vishwanath Medical Agency, from Kolkata on Monday evening. Both are said to be close associates of Shubham Jaiswal. They are accused of purchasing 10 lakh bottles of codeine syrup worth ₹15 crore from Jharkhand-based Shaili Traders. According to DCP (Kashi Zone) Gaurav Banswal, the firms maintained no sales records despite significant financial movement in their bank accounts.
More Traders and Firms Under Investigation
Several individuals linked to Shubham Jaiswal — including Tushar Agarwal, Manoj Yadav, Neeraj Singh, Rajiv Yadav, Rishabh Yadav, Mahesh Lalvani, Dharmendra Agarwal, Prashant Upadhyay, Sachin Pandey, Ghanshyam, Abhinav Yadav, Rahul Jaiswal, Himanshu Chaturvedi, Pooja Tiwari and Akash Pathak — remain on the police radar. Raids are ongoing to apprehend those still absconding. So far, FIRs have been registered against 38 firms, and officials expect the number to rise as the investigation progresses.
