Mastermind of India’s massive codeine cough syrup racket skips ED summons- what’s next for Shubham Jaiswal? With arrest warrants, Red Corner Notices, and cross-border drug links, the investigation could expose a web of fraud and trafficking.
Lucknow: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to initiate stronger legal action against Shubham Jaiswal, the alleged mastermind of a large codeine-based cough syrup trafficking syndicate, after he failed to appear before the agency despite receiving a final summons.
According to officials, the ED will now move to obtain a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) and issue a Red Corner Notice to track him internationally. Jaiswal’s continued absence has prompted investigators to escalate the case, which involves alleged drug trafficking and money laundering across multiple states and international borders.
SIT Steps Up Probe, Financial Trail Under Scanner
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has intensified the investigation and held video conferencing sessions with field officers, instructing them to establish a clear financial trail linking drug trafficking proceeds to money laundering activities. Police sources said similar steps are being taken in cases registered in Varanasi, where authorities are also preparing to issue a Red Corner Notice against Jaiswal.
Meanwhile, Jaiswal has approached the Allahabad High Court, seeking to quash the investigation and criminal cases registered against him. The matter remains under judicial consideration.
ED Summons Pharma Company Director
In a related development, the ED has summoned Manohar Jaiswal, director of Arpik Pharmaceutical, in connection with the same syndicate. The agency registered a money laundering case based on an FIR filed by the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) at Sarojini Nagar police station on November 8.
ED officials have conducted raids at multiple locations linked to Manohar Jaiswal, including premises in Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow, as part of their probe into suspected shell companies and illegal financial transactions.
Arrest Warrants Issued Against Absconding Accused
A Lucknow district court has already issued arrest warrants against absconding accused Shubham Jaiswal and Vikas Singh Narve. Investigations by the Special Task Force (STF) revealed that the syndicate used fake pharmaceutical firms to divert and transport codeine-based cough syrup under the guise of legal consignments.
The accused allegedly smuggled large quantities of the banned syrup from stock points in Ghaziabad and Varanasi to Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
High Court Rejects Bail in Related Cases
The Allahabad High Court recently rejected bail pleas of two other accused—Sintu alias Akhilesh Prakash and Akash Maurya—calling the offence serious and a threat to society. The court described the accused as suspected leaders of a cross-border narcotics network.
Multiple FIRs have been registered across Uttar Pradesh, and investigations into the widespread drug trafficking racket remain ongoing.
