Varanasi, Dec 10: Varanasi Police have seized around 30,000 bottles of illegal codeine-based cough syrup, valued at approximately Rs 60 lakh, from a warehouse in the city. This action is part of an ongoing effort to crack down on the illegal trade of banned substances.

Saravanan Thangamani, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) in Varanasi, said, “The Varanasi Commissioner is taking strong action against the illegal sale of cough syrup with codeine. The warehouse contained a huge stock of this syrup. We’ve seized 30,000 bottles, valued at around Rs 60 lakh. The warehouse owner is Manoj Kumar Yadav, a close associate of Shubham Jaiswal, who is linked to the illegal trade. Two people have been arrested at the scene.”

Shubham Jaiswal, the main suspect in the cough syrup smuggling case, has filed a request in court to cancel the charges against him and stop his arrest. An FIR (First Information Report) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was filed on November 15, accusing Jaiswal, his father Bhola Prasad Jaiswal, and 28 others of trafficking illegal cough syrup.

Bhola Prasad Jaiswal has also challenged the FIR in the High Court. He was arrested by Sonbhadra Police in Kolkata as part of the investigation into the smuggling network.

The case has gained political attention, with Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh raising the issue in Parliament on December 4. He criticized the ongoing illegal trade in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi, and called for a detailed investigation into the matter.

The Uttar Pradesh Food and Drugs Department has filed cases against 26 pharmaceutical companies linked to the illegal cough syrup trade in Varanasi.