Varanasi Police Crack Down on Codeine Smuggling Racket with Major Asset Seizure
In a significant development in the fight against organized crime, Varanasi police have taken decisive action against Manoj Yadav, a key associate of the notorious codeine cough syrup smuggling racket led by kingpin Shubham Jaiswal. Authorities have forfeited and frozen immovable assets and bank accounts belonging to Yadav, totaling a staggering Rs 13.53 crore.
Details of the Police Operation and Asset Freeze
The action stems from a case registered with the Kotwali police station. DCP Kashi zone Gaurav Banswal confirmed that a specialized police team, under the leadership of ACP (Kotwali) Vijay Pratap Singh and Inspector Dayashankar Singh, has successfully completed the legal process to seize properties linked to the accused.
The seized assets include:
- 20 properties connected to Manoj Yadav, his wife Meenu, and their company LMS Infrastructure Private Limited.
- These properties, valued at over Rs 12.66 crore, comprise residential buildings and agricultural land.
- Additionally, police have frozen debit facilities in 6 bank accounts held by Yadav's two firms, his wife, and their son across two different banks, containing approximately Rs 86.51 lakh.
Manoj Yadav, a resident of Ausanganj, Jaitpura in Varanasi, is currently evading arrest and is on the run. Police investigations reveal he was an integral part of Shubham Jaiswal's extensive smuggling network.
The Smuggling Racket's Operations and Modus Operandi
The criminal syndicate, led by Shubham Jaiswal, was involved in the large-scale illegal sale of codeine-based cough syrup across Varanasi and various eastern Uttar Pradesh districts. Their sophisticated operation involved creating fake e-way bills to divert substantial quantities of the controlled substance.
The diverted syrup was then systematically smuggled to Bangladesh via West Bengal, generating enormous illicit profits. Police evidence indicates that these illegal gains were subsequently laundered and invested in acquiring both movable and immovable assets, which have now been targeted in this crackdown.
Previous Actions Against the Smuggling Network
This is not the first major action against members of this smuggling ring. Prior to targeting Manoj Yadav, authorities had taken significant steps against Bhola Prasad Jaiswal, the imprisoned father of kingpin Shubham Jaiswal.
In that earlier operation, police forfeited movable and immovable properties belonging to Bhola Prasad Jaiswal worth over Rs 30 crore. The current seizure of Manoj Yadav's assets represents a continuation of the comprehensive strategy to dismantle the financial infrastructure of this dangerous drug smuggling network.
The Varanasi police's persistent efforts underscore their commitment to tackling organized crime and disrupting the economic foundations of illicit operations that threaten public health and safety.
