The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the illegal stocking and distribution of codeine-based cough syrups and other pharmaceutical drugs in five districts of the state.
The government also said that not a single casualty has been reported in the state due to codeine-based cough syrups.
Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad said the government was taking the matter “very seriously” and an SIT – headed by an Inspector General (IG)-ranked officer – had been set up to probe the network of human traffickers.
“On the Chief Minister’s direction, an SIT headed by an IG-level officer is being set up to probe the illegal diversion and trade spreading in five districts. The SIT will also include officials of the Food and Drug Safety Authority (FDSA),” Prasad told reporters.
There has not been a single casualty in the state due to codeine-based cough syrups, a top bureaucrat said.
“This SIT will regularly review all ongoing investigations, connect all clues arising from the information received from the accused, decide on the next course of action accordingly and conduct in-depth investigation of all related financial transactions,” he said.
Read also | No more free pass: Government plans to regulate sale of cough syrup in villagesRead also | Madhya Pradesh cough syrup death: SIT arrests Dr Parveen Soni’s wife
Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Krishna said investigations so far have uncovered a network of large-scale “super-dealers” allegedly involved in the illegal misuse of highly regulated codeine-based cough syrups, often used as narcotics.
He said three of the five key super-stockists identified in the case have been arrested. They include Bhola Jaiswal, father of Shubham Jaiswal, from Varanasi; Vibhor Rana of Saharanpur and Saurabh Tyagi of Ghaziabad.
Two other major hoarders of codeine-based syrups — notified under the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act — are under investigation and action is being taken, the DGP said.
According to him, there has been a massive recovery of smuggled goods from several districts of the state.
“Around 3.5 million bottles so far, worth approx ₹4.5 million, were recovered. We have arrested a total of 32 people associated with this illegal trade,” he said.
DGP Krishna said investigators have found evidence of regulated cough syrups being smuggled across the India-Nepal and India-Bangladesh borders.
“There has been evidence of shipments bound for Nepal and Bangladesh. We are developing these traces, verifying financial transactions through banking channels and confirming the money trail,” he added.
The DGP also warned against misinformation circulating on social media and other online platforms regarding the investigation.
Read also | WHO issues warning against Coldrif and other cough syrups after children die in MP
“A lot of things are appearing on social and digital media without evidence and without facts. We are gathering financial evidence. Names have emerged based on verified monetary transactions. Illegal abuses have been carried out by sending consignments to places and individuals who did not have a valid license – even handcart sellers,” he said.
When asked about reports that accused Shubham Jaiswal has fled abroad, Krishna said, “If necessary, we will go for extradition.”
He added that the matter has also been taken up by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which dismissed as “baseless” social media claims of attempts to influence the investigation.
FDSA Commissioner Roshan Jacob said the chief minister had directed a thorough investigation into the illegal misuse of narcotic drugs, including codeine-based cough syrups.
She also clarified that such syrups were not prohibited drugs but were controlled under Schedule H.
“It’s under Schedule H and must be sold by prescription only. There’s nothing wrong with having it or selling it legally. The problem comes when there’s a huge quantity supplied without documentation, without proper records of purchase and sale. That’s when we as a licensing authority consider it a violation of the law,” explained Jacob.
She said there was no link between the action in Uttar Pradesh and the recent incident in Madhya Pradesh where several children reportedly died after consuming toxic cough syrup.
“There is no link to any MP incident with the fatal cough syrup. All districts have confirmed it,” she said.
Jacob added that the ministry had initiated strict administrative proceedings against those involved in the illegal trade. “We have issued notices to cancel around 280 drug licences. Action is also being taken against ministry officials wherever lapses are found,” she said.
Read also | Delhi bans sale, purchase and distribution of ‘killer’ cough syrup Coldrif
According to an official statement issued here, during the pre-verification of key inputs received from the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Madhya Pradesh, a special team of FSDA along with various drug inspectors examined two manufacturing units of codeine cough syrup based in Himachal Pradesh, three such manufacturers in Uttarakhand, one establishment of the manufacturer based in Haryana, Ranchi, multinational manufacturer Shailikhand, Shailikhand.
During those inspections, records and information related to the manufacture, storage, sale and distribution of codeine-based cough syrups were obtained, the statement said.
Scrutiny of information and documents revealed that these firms repeatedly sold large quantities of codeine-based cough syrup to selected drug companies in certain districts of Uttar Pradesh.
According to the statement, some companies and individuals were also found to be illegally misusing codeine phosphate-based pharmaceutical drugs (cough syrups) for non-medical use, thereby facilitating their abuse as narcotics, an act that falls under the category of organized crime.
After confirming the violations found during the ongoing checks, drug inspectors have filed FIRs against 128 establishments and their operators in 28 districts under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act and the NDPS (Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances) Act, he added.
