Codeine-based cough syrup syndicate: Interrogation reveals key role of Saharanpur brothers
Officials allege that Vibhor Rana and Vishal Singh amassed around ₹200 crore illegal assets from cough syrup diversion
The interrogation of two accused brothers of Saharanpur, Vibhor Rana and Vishal Singh, who allegedly operated one of the largest codeine-based cough syrup diversion networks in northern India, has led to key disclosures, senior UP Special Task Force (STF) officials said.
According to investigators, the accused revealed a multi-state nexus involving shell firms, forged drug licences, and alleged collusion with certain pharmaceutical company officials to channel regulated medicines into illegal trafficking routes. Investigators allege that Vibhor Rana and Vishal Singh amassed around ₹200 crore in illegal assets from Phensedyl diversion.
The seizure in Ghaziabad involving stock linked to AB Pharmaceuticals was traced to their associate Saurabh Tyagi, further strengthening the case against the network. Both Rana and Singh were arrested on November 12 following recovery of incriminating documents and mobile phone data.In a press note, STF officials said Rana and Singh revealed during interrogation that they first entered the pharmaceutical distribution chain in 2018, acquiring a super-distributorship of a renowned healthcare firm for Phensedyl through their company GR Trading, Saharanpur.
The officials said Phensedyl, a codeine-based cough syrup, has long been misused as an intoxicant in Bangladesh, and the accused admitted that high cross-border demand prompted them to divert consignments for illegal trafficking rather than legitimate retail sale.
According to the interrogation, the operation expanded by opening fake firms using acquaintances’ drug licences, enabling purchases to appear genuine on paper while actual stock was allegedly rerouted to traffickers. They revealed that the network began drawing enforcement attention when UP STF and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) agencies intercepted multiple consignments in Jaunpur, Varanasi and Malda during 2021. Documents seized during these operations allegedly linked GR Trading and a fake firm Sachin Medicos—registered in the name of the brothers’ employee Bittoo Kumar—to the seized shipments.
“In 2022, the NCB West Bengal unit arrested Vibhor Rana, marking the first major action against the syndicate. After securing release, he allegedly shifted strategy to evade scrutiny. According to the accused, they shut down operations linked to GR Trading and shifted to new entities, Maruti Medicos (Haridwar) registered under their employee’s name Sachin Kumar. They allegedly secured another super-distributorship of the same renowned firm through help from its officials and used it for about six months until an STF seizure in Lucknow (April 2024) exposed ongoing diversion,” a senior official mentioned in the press note.
“The duo allegedly secured a fresh super-distributorship from the same firm used to continue covert supply to traffickers. The interrogation claims that certain senior officials of the same healthcare firm were in “collusion” with the accused while granting or facilitating distributorships,” the official added.
He said the accused also named a Ranchi-based super-distributor, Saili Traders, alleging it too was involved in diverting Phensedyl to smuggling networks. He said they claim the alleged healthcare firm recalled the remaining stock from Rana when the Uttar Pradesh government ordered a joint STF–food safety department investigation in 2024. The interrogation also states that around the same period, the same healthcare firm allegedly supplied nearly ₹100 crore worth of Phensedyl to Saili Traders.
By December 2024, the accused claimed the healthcare firm “possibly stopped production” of Phensedyl, allegedly due to scrutiny.The two key associates, Bittoo Kumar and Sachin Kumar, told interrogators that Vibhor Rana and Vishal Singh created multiple shell firms (Sachin Medicos, Maruti Medicos, AB Pharmaceuticals), conducted fake on-paper purchase and sale transactions, transferred funds from fictitious firms into distributor accounts to reflect legitimate trade and sold Phensedyl directly to traffickers at inflated rates. As per interrogation records, several individuals allegedly assisted Rana in the illegal operations and all names are based on statements made by the arrested individuals. A multi-agency investigation involving STF, NCB, and state drug regulators continues into one of North India’s biggest codeine-diversion rackets in recent years.
