In a major crackdown on illegal drug trafficking, Varanasi police formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) late Monday night to delve deep into the banned codeine-based cough syrup (“cap sirf”) smuggling network. Led by Kashi Zone ADCP Sarwan T., the team includes Kotwali Assistant Police Commissioner Atul Anjan and Kotwali Station House Officer. This move follows aggressive media coverage by Bharat Samachar, which exposed how local kingpin Shubham Jaiswal built a vast narcotics empire from Varanasi, supplying the addictive substance across multiple Indian states and smuggling it to Bangladesh.
Shubham Jaiswal’s Shadowy Network: Fake Firms Fuel ₹100 Crore Trade
Shubham Jaiswal, a Prahlad Ghat resident, and his father Bholanath Prasad orchestrated the racket through sham companies like Shaili Traders in Ranchi and New Vriddhi Pharma in Varanasi. From 2023 to 2025, they supplied 8.9 million bottles of the prohibited syrup—valued at ₹100 crore—using forged invoices, benami licenses, and shell entities. Jaiswal distributed to 93 firms, with 51 in Varanasi alone, violating the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Ghaziabad police busted the western UP arm on November 3, seizing 1.5 lakh bottles hidden under cement sacks, arresting eight, and naming 17 accused, including Jaiswal. The operation, which began in Sonbhadra in October, revealed Jaiswal’s rapid wealth accumulation from a modest medicine trader to a fugitive overlord.
Bangladesh Link: Cross-Border Smuggling to Fuel Addiction Crisis
The syndicate’s international reach alarms authorities: Jaiswal, alongside Meerut’s Asif and Wasim, procured syrup nationwide and smuggled it to Bangladesh and Gulf countries, hidden in trucks. In alcohol-banned Bangladesh, codeine syrup like Phensedyl serves as a cheap narcotic alternative, exacerbating youth addiction. An FIR now targets 28 individuals, including Jaiswal’s father and 26 Varanasi firms, with raids expanding to 102 traders. Jaiswal remains at large; police consider a lookout notice to prevent flight. For the full bust details. The SIT’s report will unravel this toxic web, addressing a crisis devastating young lives across borders. (Word count: 298)
