Three arrested in Bijnor for illegal sale, use of codeine-laced cough syrup

Bijnor (UP), Dec 20 (PTI) Three men have been arrested in Bijnor district for the illegal sale and non-medical use of codeine-laced cough syrup amid an ongoing statewide crackdown on an alleged codeine syrup racket, police said on Saturday.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Krishna Gopal Singh, said the arrests were made following a complaint filed by drug inspector Umesh Kumar Bharti on November 23 against Arun, Shivanshu and Resab, all residents of Bijnor, for the unauthorised sale and use of codeine-laced syrup.

“After investigation, all three accused were arrested on Friday,” the ASP said, adding that the drive against illegal narcotics trade would continue.

Another case related to the illegal sale of codeine-laced syrup is under investigation, and arrests will be made soon, the officer said.

The action follows a wider probe into an alleged illegal network involved in the storage and distribution of highly-regulated codeine-laced cough syrups across Uttar Pradesh.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is examining diversion of medicines, financial transactions and links among the accused, with police citing evidence of “super-stockists” and cross-border trafficking to Nepal and Bangladesh. PTI COR KIS ARI