STF cracks major codeine-based cough syrup trafficking syndicate, arrests two key accused in Lucknow

In a major breakthrough, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two key members of an interstate codeine-based cough syrup trafficking syndicate.

The accused, Abhishek Sharma and his brother Shubham, both residents of Saharanpur, were apprehended from Lucknow’s Alambagh area on Thursday.

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The STF recovered two mobile phones and several documents linked to multiple fake pharmaceutical firms from their possession.

According to STF officials, Abhishek and Shubham were acting as super distributors for Abbott India in New Delhi. They were closely connected with Saharanpur-based kingpins Vishal and Vibhor Rana, who allegedly ran a large-scale illegal network involving the popular cough syrup Phensedyl. Abhishek had been working with GR Trading, a pharmaceutical firm owned by Vishal and Vibhor, since 2019, and initially handled loading and unloading duties.

During interrogation, Abhishek revealed that Phensedyl consignments were procured through Abbott using fake firms. Bogus purchase and sale transactions were shown on paper, while the actual cough syrup was supplied to drug traffickers. The illegal shipments were reportedly routed through Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal before being smuggled into Bangladesh.

The STF stated that Chartered Accountant Arun Singhal played a crucial role in establishing and managing fake firms for the syndicate. He reportedly helped create fraudulent entities under the names of GR Trading employees, including Bittu and his brother Sachin. Using Singhal’s assistance, the gang forged multiple fake firms across Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh, such as Sachin Medicos and Maruti Medicos, to show bogus stock movement. Meanwhile, the actual syrups were stored in Maruti Medicos’ warehouse.

The accused had allegedly colluded with Abbott officials to secure the CFA for Saharanpur under the licence of BN Pharmaceuticals. In January 2024, Maruti Medicos was even elevated to the position of super distributor for Uttarakhand, with Abhishek signing all documents under the fake identity of “Sachin Kumar.”

Another firm, AV Pharmaceuticals, was registered in Abhishek’s name in Delhi but operated by gang members Saurabh Tyagi and Pappan Yadav. From this point, the illegal consignments were transported through Agra, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, and Lucknow, eventually reaching Malda, Tripura, and ultimately Bangladesh.

A major shipment, dispatched in April 2024 by Maruti Medicos and AV Pharmaceuticals, was intercepted by the Lucknow STF, prompting intensified action against the network. After the bust, Abbott halted Phensedyl supplies and rerouted all stocks to Shaili Traders. The syndicate then shifted to trafficking other codeine-based syrups like Onirex and Scaff.

Following the arrest of gang leaders Vishal Singh, Vibhor Rana, Sachin, and Bittu on November 11, 2025, Abhishek and Shubham went into hiding in Ambala with their phones switched off. The STF is now questioning them to identify additional members of the network and to determine the role of pharmaceutical company officials.

Shubham, who studied up to intermediate level, had previously worked for several years as a Port Operational Officer at Dubai Port World (DPW). He returned to India with plans to settle in the U.S. or Australia, but was allegedly drawn into the drug trafficking operations by his brother Abhishek shortly after his return.

The STF investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are expected as the nexus between the traffickers and pharmaceutical distributors continues to unfold.