In a significant crackdown on narcotics trafficking, Ghaziabad police have arrested a 50-year-old man for his alleged involvement in a sophisticated cough syrup smuggling racket, where a shell company was used to launder crores of rupees generated from the illegal trade.
The Arrest and the Shell Company
Deep Prakash Gupta, a resident of Hardoi, was apprehended near the Hindon metro station on Tuesday. According to investigators, Gupta allowed the masterminds of the racket to use his identity to establish a paper company, 'DP Enterprises', in exchange for a commission. The firm's bank account was then utilised to park and route money linked to the smuggling of codeine-based syrups, which are classified as narcotic drugs.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime and Cyber) Piyush Kumar Singh stated that while financial transactions worth Rs 5 crore came to light between Gupta and other accused in the 2024-25 period, the police found that 'DP Enterprises' had no physical existence and operated solely on paper. Its purpose was to convert illegal proceeds from the syrup smuggling into legitimate-looking earnings.
How the Racket Unravelled
The syndicate first came under the scanner on October 18, when three individuals were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district with illegal cough syrup valued at approximately Rs 3 crore. The subsequent probe by Sonbhadra police revealed that some gang members were operating from Ghaziabad and that the supply chain originated from Delhi.
This intelligence was shared with Ghaziabad police, leading to a joint operation. Acting on a specific tip-off on November 4, a police team raided a transport warehouse on Meerut Road. The raid led to the arrest of eight gang members and the seizure of 1,150 cartons of illegal cough syrup from four trucks parked at the location.
The confiscated consignment included 850 cartons of 'Eskuf' and 300 cartons of 'Phensedyl', cleverly concealed between sacks of lime. Among those arrested was Saurabh Tyagi (37) from Indirapuram, identified as one of the masterminds. An FIR was registered against all accused under relevant sections of the NDPS Act at Nandgram police station.
The Money Trail and Gupta's Confession
Police evidence points to clear financial links between Gupta (DP Enterprises), Saurabh Tyagi (owner of RS Pharma), and another accused, Vishal Upadhyay (owner of Vanya Enterprises).
In his statement to the police, Gupta revealed that he had been in the medicine business in Odisha since 2005, where he met Vishal Upadhyay. After his work in Odisha stopped in 2023, he returned to Hardoi. In 2024, he went to Delhi to meet Upadhyay, who then introduced him to Saurabh Tyagi.
"He was told about the cough syrup smuggling and offered a commission of Rs 2 to Rs 3 per bottle. His only task was to register an agency in his name. Lured by the commission, Gupta got the licence for DP Enterprises registered at a Delhi address in December last year," a police official said, summarising the confession.
The investigation remains active as authorities work to trace the entire network and the destination of the smuggled contraband.
