Yusuf Azam, a 43-year-old man from Mahmood Nagar Chowk, Lucknow, was arrested on April 8 after a large-scale operation uncovered illicit substances worth Rs 8 crore. Authorities also seized 6.5 lakh tablets of tramadol, over 44,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, and significant evidence, including documents and mobile phones.
The investigation led by the Special Cell had initially uncovered a syndicate operating across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Yusuf Azam was identified as the kingpin, with previous arrests of Md Faizan Beg, Md Zubair, and Rekha helping to trace his operations. After rigorous surveillance, his hideout in Transport Nagar, Lucknow, was located, and he was arrested.
During questioning, Azam confessed to running an illegal drug trade for 15 years under the guise of a legitimate pharmaceutical firm, AK Pharma, where he procured and distributed psychotropic substances in the grey market for substantial profit.
Azam’s past criminal history includes an arrest by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in 2013 for similar drug trafficking activities. Authorities are continuing the investigation and working to dismantle the entire drug network.
