India: Largest cough syrup racket busted in Odisha

Rs3.5 million worth of 'Eskuf' bottles, one countrymade pistol, 17 mobile phones, gold ornaments seized; 35 suspects arrested

By ANI

Published: Tue 14 Mar 2023, 2:42 PM

Last updated: Tue 14 Mar 2023, 2:43 PM

As many as 35 suspected members of the 'cough syrup mafia' were arrested by the Bolangir Police under its 'Mission Cough Syrup' drive.

Police said that 'Eskuf' cough syrup bottles, worth Rs 3.5 million, were seized from the arrested persons.

According to police, Sana Negi and Prashant Kheti were identified as the two major players in the racket.

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Bolangir Police said as part of 'Mission Cough Syrup', which is a crackdown against the cough syrup mafia, they busted an interstate organised racket on Sunday.

The racket is said to be the largest to have been busted by the Bolangir Police, so far.

Balangir SP Nitin Kushalkar said on the basis of local and technical intelligence and pieces of evidence gathered during the investigation, the police busted the racket involved in illegal procurement, transportation and selling of Eskuf Syrup in Bolangir and the neighbouring district and destroyed the entire chain ranging from Bolangir to West Bengal.

"During the operation, the police also seized one countrymade pistol, a vehicle, two pick-up vans, one vehicle, two motorcycles, Rs 7,500 in cash, 17 mobile phones, gold ornaments and other articles. An amount of Rs20 million belonging to the supplier company, M/s. Daffodil Drugs Pvt. Ltd, Kolkata, was also frozen," he said.

"The modus operandi of the cough syrup mafia is to collect and distribute them in the wee hours, mostly 3am, 4am and 5am. This is why the police had to work round the clock to bust the racket. Prashant Kheti has been arrested and Sana Negi will soon be caught," the SP informed.