Varanasi: In a major operation, the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (UPFSDA) and police have busted one of the biggest rackets of codeine-based cough syrup, used as an intoxicant. With Varanasi as its hub, this racket, led by lynchpin Shubham Jaiswal and his father, supplied 89 lakh bottles of syrup worth Rs 100 crore between 2023 and 2025.
Following a three-day special operation led by FSDA commissioner Roshan Jacob, FIRs were lodged against 28 out of 31 firms involved in the racket.
The misuse of codeine-based cough syrup has prompted many countries to restrict its usage and regulate its sale. The series of major crackdowns on Jaiswal’s racket, suspected to have spread its network from Bangladesh to Gulf countries, started from Sonbhadra in Oct. Ghaziabad police also busted its west UP network on Nov 3.
Leading the team of drug inspectors carrying out the investigation of 51 firms in Varanasi, Zunab Ali told TOI, “A special drive to bust the racket of codeine-based cough syrup’s black marketeering is continuing With the launch of this operation, it came to light that Varanasi-based supplier Shubham Jaiswal supplied syrups to 93 firms, of which 51 are in Varanasi.
Of them, the investigation was completed against 31, after which FIRs were lodged against 28 of them with Kotwali police on Saturday for thorough investigation.”
Kashi DCP Gaurav Banswal said that based on the complaint of UPFSDA officials, FIRs were being lodged, and teams were also being formed for thorough investigation. So far, it has come to light that Jaiswal is absconding, while the claims that he fled abroad are also a matter of investigation. Jaiswal came on the radar of UPFSDA and police, especially after Sonbhadra police on Oct 18 seized over 1.19 lakh bottles of banned narcotic-based cough syrup worth Rs 3.5 crore from two container trucks on Varanasi-Shaktinagar road.
After this, tipped off by Sonbhadra cops, Ghaziabad police on Nov 3 busted a major cough syrup racket, seizing more than 1.5 lakh bottles and arresting eight people. Ghaziabad cops registered a case with Nandgram police station, making 17 persons, including Shubham Jaiswal, accused in this racket. This racket smuggles cough syrup to Bangladesh and also some Gulf countries. The smuggling syndicate includes people from Mumbai, Himachal, Jharkhand, and UP.
The initial investigation revealed the purchase and sale of 89 lakh bottles of syrup worth Rs 100 crore in UP and other states.
It exposed that Jaiswal worked parallelly in the names of M/s Shaily Traders, Ranchi (Jharkhand), and New Vriddhi Pharma, Varanasi, which is a gross violation of drug licensing laws.
A total of 93 firms were shown buying and selling cough syrup, but many of them do not exist, while several firms were found closed. Despite these facts, black marketing of cough syrup was carried out in their names with the help of fake bills, fake licences, and false documents. Jaiswal not only showed the supply of lakhs of bottles of cough syrup in the names of nine closed firms, but the stock was shown in the name of a firm, Sri Balaji Medical, while its owner stated he runs a gold-silver trade and has no connection with the medicine business.
Apart from Jaiswal, the names of Asif and Wasim have also come to light as leaders of this gang. In view of the possibility of fleeing abroad, cops are also exploring options like issuing a lookout notice against him, said officials. The surprise rise in wealth and lifestyle of Jaiswal, who entered the medicine business a few years ago, drew the attention of many towards him. Jaiswal’s political ambitions also came to light when he ensured the placement of hundreds of posters and hoardings across the city, after which Varanasi Municipal Corporation on Oct 5 slapped a penalty of Rs 5.5 lakh on him for placing publicity material without seeking permission and paying prescribed charges for it.
Source: Times Of India
