UP STF busts inter-state codeine syrup network, seizes 30,000 bottles

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has busted an inter-state network involved in the illegal trafficking of codeine-based cough syrup, arresting four people and recovering around 30,000 bottles valued at nearly ₹3 crore in Banda district.

The arrests were made on Thursday as part of the state government's ongoing crackdown on the illegal trade in narcotic substances.

"The accused have been identified as Dhirendra Kumar of Banda, Praveen Kumar alias Lucky and Rohit Pandey of Atarra, and Shekhar Singh of Hapur," officials said.

According to the STF, the gang was allegedly bringing consignments of codeine cough syrup from Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh and supplying them across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.

Acting on specific intelligence, a Prayagraj STF field unit intercepted a red Tata Nexon car and a DCM vehicle near the northern roundabout of the Bundelkhand Expressway on the Bisanda-Atarra route.

A search of both vehicles led to the recovery of a large quantity of codeine syrup, following which all four suspects were arrested.

During questioning, the accused allegedly revealed that the gang supplied the syrup not to medical stores but to the illegal narcotics market in districts, including Banda, Atarra and Chitrakoot, as well as adjoining areas of Madhya Pradesh.

The gang allegedly changed the product labels and sold the syrup at higher prices.

Drivers transporting consignments were reportedly paid an additional ₹25,000 for delivering them safely.

Investigators also exposed alleged GST fraud linked to the operation.

Fake invoices were reportedly prepared in the name of a medical agency in Hamirpur, using a firm that had already been declared bogus or non-operational by the commercial tax department.

In a separate operation, the Anti Narcotics Task Force's Varanasi unit arrested Himanshu Gautam in Sonbhadra's Karma police station area and recovered heroin worth around ₹80 lakh, police said.

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