The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today launched extensive raids across six cities as part of its money-laundering investigation into the illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup in Uttar Pradesh.
File Photo: IANS
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today launched extensive raids across six cities as part of its money-laundering investigation into the illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup in Uttar Pradesh. Beginning early in the morning, ED teams conducted searches at 25 locations connected to the suspected syndicate in Lucknow, Varanasi, Ranchi, Ahmedabad, Jaunpur and Saharanpur.
In Lucknow, ED officials carried out a major search operation at the luxurious residence of dismissed STF constable Alok Pratap Singh, who is accused in the codeine cough syrup trafficking case. Acting on intelligence inputs, officers searched the premises for several hours and recovered multiple suspicious documents, bank transaction files, digital devices and records allegedly linked to hawala transactions. All seized materials have been taken into custody for further examination.
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The ED team arrived at around 6 am at Singh’s residence located in Sushant Golf City on Gosainganj Road, adjacent to the house of former Jaunpur MP Dhananjay Singh. Alok Pratap Singh is currently under STF custody. Meanwhile, in an earlier development related to the same case, Krishna Nagar police arrested two associates of Deepak Manwani—Suraj Mishra and Preetam Singh – who had been on the run. Manwani, a resident of Snehnagar, had been arrested on October 11 after a joint raid by the Drug Department and police led to the seizure of a large quantity of codeine-based syrup, tablets, capsules and injections from his house.
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According to ACP Krishna Nagar Rajneesh Verma, Manwani admitted during interrogation that he purchased the illegal drugs from Suraj and Preetam to sell to addicts. Another accomplice, Arush Saxena, is still absconding, and a police search is going on.
Police apprehended Suraj Mishra yesterday from VIP Road near Baikunth Dham and Preetam Singh from Badshahnagar. Suraj, originally from Sitapur’s Ataria Sadanpur, runs a medicine agency named New Mangalam Ayurvedic, while Preetam, a native of Bahraich’s Badi Raja village, works at a family restaurant in Purania.
The investigation into the illegal trade of codeine-based medicines continues, with agencies tightening their crackdown on the expanding drug syndicate.
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