Mail News Service
Ranchi, Dec 12: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday launched coordinated raids across Jharkhand and several other states in connection with the illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup.
In state capital Ranchi, ED teams began an intensive search operation at a factory located in Tupudana, where heavy security was deployed throughout the day.
According to ED sources, simultaneous searches are underway in Lucknow, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Jaunpur, Saharanpur and Ranchi as part of a large-scale crackdown on the multi-state trafficking network.
In Ranchi, officials reached the premises of Shaily Traders in several vehicles, but had to wait before gaining entry to the facility.
As of the filing of this report, the agency continued its examination of documents, records and stock inside the unit under tight security.
The investigation gained momentum earlier this year after several children in Guna and Vidisha districts of Madhya Pradesh reportedly died or fell critically ill after consuming suspicious codeine and Coldrif-labelled cough syrup.
Initial findings indicated that the issue was not an isolated case of contaminated medicine but part of a much larger trafficking network operating across states.
Probing agencies have identified Varanasi-based Shubham Jaiswal as the alleged mastermind of the racket.
He is accused of using shell companies and fake billing to procure massive consignments of codeine-based syrup, which were then routed to multiple states and even neighbouring countries. Officials believe he escaped to Dubai via Ranchi and Kolkata, where he is currently hiding.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the racket involves money laundering exceeding Rs 1,000 crore, now a key focus of the ED’s investigation.
The nationwide raids aim to uncover the full supply chain, financial trail and international links behind the illegal trade.
