SIT Report to Yogi Govt Exposes Massive Codeine Syrup Diversion Racket in UP
SIT reports kingpin network to CM Yogi.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has submitted a detailed report to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, exposing a well-organized syndicate involved in the illegal diversion of codeine-based cough syrups. The network allegedly exploits domestic licensing gaps, utilizes hawala channels for funding, and maintains international smuggling connections, marking it as a deeply entrenched operation threatening public health and regulatory frameworks.
The SIT identified Vibhor Rana as the primary orchestrator, who obtained a manufacturing license in 2016 under the previous administration. Investigators noted that licenses for all implicated firms were issued prior to 2017, facilitating large-scale production and subsequent diversion of genuine syrups into the illicit intoxicant market, despite their regulated status for medical use.
Enforcement actions disrupted key smuggling routes, including a madrasa-linked network near the Nepal border, prompting Rana to attempt recalling nearly one crore bottles through pharmaceutical company Abbott. Financial probes revealed heavy reliance on hawala transactions, with trafficking corridors spanning Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Nepal-bordering districts in Uttar Pradesh, alongside another parallel network allegedly involved in religious conversions.
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The report clarified distinctions from spurious syrup cases linked to deaths in other states, emphasizing that Uttar Pradesh seizures involved authentic products diverted for abuse, with no related fatalities reported locally. Intensified scrutiny strained the syndicate's supply chain, leading to recoveries from warehouses and exposure of associates handling stockpiles.
The crackdown, described as the nation's largest against such diversion, has resulted in cases across 33 districts, arrests of 75 individuals, seizure of over 12.65 lakh bottles, and actions against 132 firms. Ongoing probes by the Enforcement Directorate continue to trace financial trails and cross-border linkages as authorities maintain vigilant operations.
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