Codeine cough syrup racket: ₹50K reward out for kingpin
Varanasi Police have uncovered a huge codeine-based cough syrup trafficking ring, allegedly led by 33-year-old BHU grad Shubham Jaiswal.
Using fake documents and a shell firm called Shaili Traders, the group sourced massive amounts of syrup from pharma firms and illegally sent around ₹100 crore worth to Bangladesh and Nepal.
How the racket worked—and where things stand now
Investigators found the operation stretched into Siliguri and Darjeeling near the Bangladesh border, using fake bills, forged invoices, altered stock records, unlicensed warehouses, and cash deals.
Jaiswal is on the run—police believe he's hiding in Dubai—and there's now a ₹50K reward for tips leading to his arrest.
Lookout notices are out for Jaiswal and his associates; meanwhile, his father was arrested last month as agencies dig deeper into possible cross-border links.
The Enforcement Directorate has also stepped in with money laundering charges after multiple FIRs were filed.