Major Drug Bust: Rs 3 Crore Worth of Codeine-Laced Cough Syrup Seized in Uttar Pradesh

Sonbhadra:

In a significant operation, officials from the police and excise department conducted a joint raid resulting in the seizure of illegal cough syrup valued at Rs 3 crore and the arrest of three individuals, according to an official statement released on Sunday.

Additional Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar reported that approximately 1.19 lakh bottles of prohibited cough syrup, with an estimated value of Rs 3 crore, were intercepted on Saturday evening near Churk in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district. The contraband was being transported in two container trucks from Ghaziabad to Jharkhand when officials apprehended three suspects.

Following examination of the seized medication, the drug inspector confirmed the presence of codeine, a narcotic substance classified as a prohibited drug under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

According to the officer, the three arrested individuals—Hemant Pal from Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh), Brajmohan Shivhare from Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), and Ramgopal Dhakad also from Gwalior—admitted during questioning that they concealed the illicit substances between cartons of chips and snacks to avoid detection by authorities.

Police revealed that the suspects further disclosed that a contact in Jharkhand was supposed to provide instructions regarding the delivery location for the shipment. Authorities have registered a case against all three accused in connection with the seizure.