Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 22 : The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the UP Police probing the codeine cough syrup smuggling case has submitted its report to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, with the findings pointing to a cross-border syndicate involving diversion of pharmaceutical consignments, hawala transactions and links to criminal networks.
According to the SIT report, the alleged kingpin of the racket, Vibhor Rana, was granted a licence in 2016. The report claims that licences to the firms involved in the manufacture and distribution of the cough syrup were issued during the tenure of the previous Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav.
The SIT stated that enforcement action against madrasas near the Nepal border directly affected smuggling operations, prompting Vibhor and his associates to temporarily halt cross-border trafficking.
The report further notes that following intensified scrutiny by authorities, Vibhor had approached pharmaceutical company Abbott, requesting it to take back nearly one crore bottles of cough syrup.
Investigators have found that large consignments linked to Vibhor's associates, identified as Saurabh and Pappan, were also seized in western Uttar Pradesh. The report alleges that part of Vibhor's stock was deliberately diverted by the company to Shubham Jaiswal for the purpose of smuggling. A significant cache of cough syrup was later recovered from a warehouse in Varanasi belonging to Manoj Yadav, an associate of Shubham Jaiswal.
The SIT report highlights the role of a hawala network in the syndicate, stating that both the diversion of consignments and the financial transactions were routed through illegal hawala channels.
The smuggling routes allegedly extended through Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Jharkhand, before being channelled through Uttar Pradesh districts bordering Nepal.
The investigation has also flagged the involvement of a network led by an individual identified as Chhangur Baba, who is accused of running a religious conversion racket in Nepal-bordering areas of Uttar Pradesh, and whose network was allegedly used for facilitating cough syrup smuggling, as stated in the SIT report.
The SIT noted that several accused were apprehended during the course of the probe initiated after reported deaths in Madhya Pradesh linked to the consumption of illicit cough syrup.
Increased vigilance along the border disrupted the trafficking routes, and in the process of attempting to offload the stock in other regions, key players of the syndicate were exposed and caught, the report added.
Meanwhile, addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister Yodi Adyanath said, "No deaths have occurred in Uttar Pradesh due to codeine cough syrup. Secondly, action will be taken in this case under the NDPS Act. The Uttar Pradesh government has won this case in court. Thirdly, in Uttar Pradesh, the biggest wholesaler, who was first apprehended by the STF, was issued a license by the Samajwadi Party in 2016."
Providing details of the action taken so far, Yogi Adityanath said the government has registered 79 cases, named 225 accused, and arrested 78 people in connection with the matter. He added that raids have been carried out on 134 firms.
"The government has registered 79 cases so far. 225 accused have been named in these cases. 78 accused have been arrested so far. Raids have been conducted on 134 firms," he said.
The Chief Minister further alleged that links to the Samajwadi Party may emerge as the investigation progresses.
"I think if you delve deeper into this matter, you'll find that ultimately, some leader or individual associated with the Samajwadi Party is involved. The High Court has ruled that this entire case should be prosecuted under the NDPS Act. The Uttar Pradesh government has fought this battle and won." he stated.
Issuing a strong warning to those involved, the Chief Minister said the government would ensure strict action against all accused.