Lucknow: Basti Police late on Thursday arrested Pankaj Kumar, the owner of a bogus pharmaceutical firm named Ganpati Pharma, for illegally supplying 1.72 lakh bottles of codeine-based cough syrup using forged documents. The accused was arrested near the Roadways bus station. Using fake address proof and forged documents, Pankaj, a resident of Varanasi, registered Ganpati Pharma in Basti and began large-scale distribution of codeine-laced cough syrup, said additional superintendent of police Shyamkant.
The case came to light during an inquiry by drug inspector Arvind Kumar, who found that Ganpati Pharma procured 1.72 lakh bottles of codeine cough syrup from four firms without any valid purchase or stock records. An FIR was registered at Kotwali police station on December 8 under various BNS and NDPS Act sections. During raids, the alleged shop was found locked inside a narrow lane in a densely populated locality. The landlord informed police that the room was rented for a short period and later abandoned. A special investigation team (SIT) was constituted to trace the accused. Police said Pankaj admitted to changing only his address in identity documents while keeping his name and father’s name intact. Investigators believe Pankaj was the mastermind of a wider syndicate supplying codeine syrup sourced from drug companies in Ranchi, Lucknow, and other cities. Several traders linked to the racket are now under the police’s radar, and further arrests are likely. The illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup, allegedly operated by a syndicate spanning Varanasi, Ranchi, and Lucknow, was found to have deep roots in Basti, where wholesale and retail drug agencies were involved in large-scale purchase and sale for a prolonged period without detection by regulatory authorities. With the arrest of mastermind Pankaj Kumar, police are now preparing to tighten the noose around all individuals linked to the illegal trade. Circle officer (city) Satyendra Bhushan Tripathi said several other drug traders associated with Ganpati Pharma emerged during the probe, and further disclosures are expected soon.
