E-Paper
Vigilant truck driver helps police seize restricted cough syrup worth ₹50L in Etawah
A truck driver in Etawah seized a large consignment of cough syrup worth ₹50 lakh, suspecting it might be illegal; further investigation is ongoing.
A truck driver’s suspicion that he might be transporting a banned codeine-based cough syrup, amid an ongoing crackdown in Uttar Pradesh, led to the seizure of a large consignment of restricted prescription cough syrup worth nearly ₹50 lakh in Etawah, senior police officials said on Saturday.
Although the syrup was later found not to contain codeine, it was identified as a regulated formulation allowed only in limited quantities in Bihar.
Etawah additional superintendent of police (City) Abhay Nath Tripathi said the intercepted container was carrying around 40,000 bottles of Viscof cough syrup, a legally manufactured medicine whose sale and bulk transportation are closely regulated. He added that recent enforcement drives in Uttar Pradesh against the illegal diversion of codeine-based cough syrups have made transporters and drivers more vigilant about pharmaceutical consignments.
Tripathi said the intensified crackdown on codeine misuse prompted the driver’s doubts. “The driver was aware of recent seizures of codeine-based syrups and grew suspicious that consignment might contain a similar substance,” the officer said, adding that subsequent verification confirmed the bottles did not contain codeine but were nonetheless classified as regulated prescription medicines.
The officer said such medicines are permitted only in limited quantities in Bihar, making the unusually large volume in a single container suspicious. He added that the consignment had been loaded in Dehradun and was blonde for Bihar. The driver, Sandeep Yadav, a resident of Gaurapura in Etawah, grew wary after noticing a car repeatedly tailing and overtaking his truck during the journey, with its occupants allegedly making several attempts to get the vehicle to stop.
Tripathi said the driver verified the firm’s details mentioned in the transport documents and found that although the syrup could be transported in regulated quantities, the volume loaded appeared unusually large. Suspecting possible illegal diversion, he alerted his employer and diverted the truck to Etawah instead of proceeding toward Bihar.
After reaching Etawah, Yadav informed the local police and the drug department. While officials were checking the consignment, three men arrived in a car and allegedly tried to persuade him to continue the journey. Police teams then reached the spot and detained the trio. A search of their vehicle resulted in the recovery of ₹4.35 lakh in cash, the officer said.
The detained men were identified as Vikas Kumar of Samastipur, Sonu Kumar of Vaishali, and Arun Rai, also from Vaishali district in Bihar. During questioning, they claimed ownership of the consignment and said the syrup had been purchased from a Dehradun-based pharmaceutical company using a valid e-way bill for delivery to a firm in Samastipur. Officials said the documents are currently under verification.
District drug inspector Nilesh Sharma said the formulation is intended for legitimate medical use, but its bulk transportation is strictly monitored due to the risk of misuse and diversion.
He said samples from the seized bottles would be sent for laboratory analysis to confirm their exact composition and ensure compliance with drug regulations. Police have also launched a broader investigation to trace the supply chain, identify the intended recipients, and determine whether the consignment is linked to similar interstate operations, Tripathi added.
