Ghaziabad: Police have attached Rs 2-crore properties, including three commercial shops and four vehicles, of Saurabh Tyagi, the owner of RS Pharma in Indirapuram and alleged member of a codeine-based crossborder cough syrup smuggling racket operation across NCR that was busted last year. Codeine, categorised as a narcotic drug, is a mild opioid that can produce euphoria in high doses, lead to dependence.Tyagi was among the eight people arrested on Nov 4, 2025, along with 1,150 cartons of cough syrup from four trucks parked on Meerut Road, including 850 cartons of Eskuf and 300 cartons of Phensedyl, which were hidden between lime sacks. The syrups had an estimated market value of Rs 3.4 crore then. Police had also recovered Rs 20 lakh in cash, a Hyundai Creta and strips of Tapentadol extended-release tablets, which are Schedule H1 drugs, from them. Manufacture and export tapentadol and carisoprodol drugs, two highly addictive opioids, are banned in India.The racket had come into focus after Indian syrups tainted with diethylene glycol were linked to the deaths of 70 children in The Gambia and 18 in Uzbekistan in 2023. Last year, at least 20 children, below 5 years, died in MP after consuming cough syrup laced with high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG), a toxic industrial solvent.According to investigators, Tyagi allegedly led the racket’s operations and was responsible for procuring and distributing the banned cough syrups across the NCR through his firm. Investigators found that the syrups would be smuggled into Bangladesh.DCP (city zone) Dhawal Jaiswal said a financial probe revealed a mismatch between Tyagi’s declared income and his assets.
