Acting on the November 2025 seizure of a massive illegal stock of codeine-based cough syrup by Rohaniya police, the Varuna zone police have registered a case against nine accused under the Gangsters Act. The list includes the absconding kingpin Shubham Jaiswal and his father Bhola Prasad, who is currently in jail and has been named the gang leader in the chargesheet.
First Gangsters Act Case for Codeine Smuggling
Police Commissioner Mohit Agrawal confirmed that this is the first instance where the Gangsters Act has been invoked for codeine syrup smuggling. He further stated that the Kotwali and Sarnath police will follow suit with similar actions in their respective cases.
Gang Chart and Members
In the gang chart prepared by Rohaniya police, Bhola Prasad has been listed as the gang leader. The other members include Shubham Jaiswal, Azad Jaiswal, Mahesh Kumar Singh, Shivakant alias Shiv, Dinesh Kumar Yadav, Ashish Yadav of Varanasi, Swapnil Keshari of Chandauli, and Saurabh Tyagi of Ghaziabad.
The report states, "They are collectively involved in an organised criminal gang active at the inter-district level. The main ringleader of this gang is Bhola. He, along with his gang members, illegally smuggles and stores codeine-based cough syrup for financial, material and undue worldly gain for himself and his gang members, earning money illegally and spending it on luxury and extravagance. Their primary criminal activity is the illegal smuggling and storage of codeine-based cough syrup with common intent for illegal financial gain."
Details of the Seizure
On November 19, 2025, Rohania police seized 18,600 bottles of Phensedyl and 75,150 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup from the warehouse of Mahesh Kumar Singh at Bhadwar. A chargesheet has now been filed against all nine accused individuals.
This action marks a significant step by the Varanasi police in cracking down on the illegal trade of codeine-based syrups, which are often abused as recreational drugs. The investigation continues to trace the broader network involved in this inter-district smuggling operation.
