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UP FSDA conducts raids across 30 locations to curb codeine syrup abuse
In Lucknow, officials seized cough syrups worth over ₹3 lakh during a raid in Sneh Nagar near Singar Nagar on Saturday. The syrups, suspected to contain codeine, were sent for laboratory testing. A man identified as Deepak Manwani was arrested with the consignment.
Uttar Pradesh’s Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has intensified its crackdown on a network smuggling codeine-based syrups. Over the weekend, FSDA teams raided more than 30 locations across the state in a drive against illegal pharmaceutical trade.
The two-day operation, carried out in Ghazipur, Kanpur, Bareilly, Agra, and Lucknow, comes amid growing concerns over the misuse of codeine syrups by addicts and their movement through clandestine cross-border channels.
In Lucknow, officials seized cough syrups worth over ₹3 lakh during a raid in Sneh Nagar near Singar Nagar on Saturday. The syrups, suspected to contain codeine, were sent for laboratory testing. A man identified as Deepak Manwani was arrested with the consignment.
During interrogation, Manwani revealed that he procured the syrups from Gujarat, Delhi, and Himachal Pradesh, selling them locally at high margins. He also admitted supplying consignments smuggled to Nepal and Bangladesh through Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, and Gorakhpur.
FSDA officials said the network extends beyond individual peddlers. Manwani named two associates, Suraj Kumar Mishra and Monti Sardar, believed to be part of a wider supply chain exploiting gaps in regulation and enforcement.
Principal secretary Roshan Jacob has instructed all districts to intensify inspections and take strict action against illegal distribution of syrups or those containing banned ingredients.
FSDA Inspector Brijesh Singh said the crackdown is ongoing and further arrests are expected.
The renewed drive follows multiple child deaths in Madhya Pradesh linked to Coldrif syrup, manufactured by Sresan Pharmaceuticals, which contained dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG).
At least 20 children died, prompting nationwide scrutiny and bans. In Uttar Pradesh, FSDA has prohibited the sale and movement of Coldrif and other syrups from Sresan Pharmaceuticals.
