In a major crackdown on the illegal codeine cough syrup trade, Varanasi and Mirzapur police arrested six wanted accused over the weekend, including Krishna Kumar Yadav, who carried a Rs 25,000 reward.
On Saturday, Varanasi police arrested Vishnu Kumar Pandey and Lokesh Agrawal, both from Sarnath, for using forged purchase-sale invoices to buy and sell codeine-based drugs.
On Sunday, Rohaniya police arrested three more accused: Swapnil Kesari from Chandauli, and Dinesh Kumar Yadav and Ashish Yadav from Varanasi.
Investigations revealed that the accused misused a drug sale licence issued to PD Pharma, selling codeine-containing drugs illegally in the open market for recreational purposes, without medical consultation or completing legal formalities.
The probe showed that Kesari, Dinesh Yadav, and Ashish Yadav ran three shell pharma companies—Singh Medicos, Al-Ukba, and SP Pharma—under instructions from Shubham Jaiswal. Hawala money collected by Jaiswal was routed through these firms into legitimate bank accounts, while the purchase and sale of codeine syrup occurred only on paper.
The syrup was secretly stored at unknown locations in Varanasi, Chandauli, and other districts and smuggled to Bangladesh for resale at ten times the price. Fake bills and cash were managed under Jaiswal’s guidance, and large deposits were made into banks to launder the money.
Meanwhile, Mirzapur police arrested Krishna Kumar Yadav, who had ordered 4.5 lakh bottles of Escof cough syrup but operated his firm, City Medisales, only on paper. Investigations revealed a turnover of Rs 15 crore across three bank accounts linked to his firm.
Drug inspector Santosh Patel confirmed that FIRs were filed against four firms involved in the racket. Three accused—Akshat Yadav, Ajit Yadav, and Shivam Dwivedi—have already been arrested, while a fourth remains at large with a Rs 25,000 reward announced.
Chunar circle officer Manjari Rao stated that Krishna Kumar Yadav, originally from Chandauli, set up City Medisales in Hariharpur Mathana, Jamalpur. From April 14 to June 26, 4.5 lakh bottles of 100 ml Escof cough syrup were supplied to his firm in ten instalments from Delhi-based suppliers.
The accused confessed to operating multiple medical agencies and secretly distributing codeine syrup for several years under Shubham Jaiswal’s direction.
