Major Crackdown in Kanpur: Rs 9.5 Crore Properties Sealed in Codeine Cough Syrup Trafficking Case
In a significant enforcement action, authorities in Kanpur have sealed five properties with a combined value of Rs 9.5 crore belonging to Vinod Agrawal, a key accused in a high-profile codeine-containing cough syrup trafficking case. The operation was carried out on Thursday under the stringent provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Properties Sealed Across Multiple Locations
The sealing action was executed in the presence of senior police officials, including ACP Cantt Aakanksha Pandey and Crime Branch Inspector Kamalapati Yadav. The targeted properties are located in several prominent areas of the city:
- Gopal Vihar in Civil Lines
- Birhana Road
- Rampuram of Daheli Sujanpur
- Emerald Gulistan Phase 2 in Jajmau
Notably, these same properties had previously been seized by the Sarnath police under the Varanasi Commissionerate, indicating the persistent legal scrutiny facing the accused.
Widespread Drug Distribution Network Uncovered
According to DCP Crime Shravan Kumar Singh, the investigation has revealed a sophisticated and extensive drug trafficking operation. Vinod Agrawal and his son, Shivam Agrawal, allegedly sourced codeine-containing cough syrup from eight different pharmaceutical companies based in Delhi, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
The scale of the operation is substantial, with approximately 36,000 bottles of the controlled substance being distributed from Kanpur to 47 different firms. Police are currently investigating the legitimacy of these receiving firms to determine if they were genuine entities or part of a front for illegal distribution.
Nationwide Supply Chain and Intensive Police Probe
DCP Singh detailed that the codeine syrup was supplied from Kanpur to multiple states across India, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, and West Bengal, as well as to various districts within Uttar Pradesh itself. The investigation has particularly highlighted firms from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh as major recipients.
Within Uttar Pradesh, consignments were traced to districts such as Shravasti, Varanasi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Gorakhpur, and Gonda. To manage the complex investigation, a dedicated team of 50 police personnel has been assigned the critical task of matching and verifying the seized medicines and cough syrup bottles against distribution records.
This case underscores the ongoing challenges authorities face in combating the illicit trade of prescription drugs and the rigorous measures being implemented to dismantle such networks.
