Authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district have seized a large consignment of codeine-based cough syrup, prompting an investigation into its procurement and intended distribution. The seizure led to a halt in sales as officials examine records and supply chain details to verify the legality of the transaction.
Assam Police have seized drugs worth Rs 6.4 crore, including Yaba tablets and codeine syrup, in Sribhumi district, leading to the arrest of two traffickers. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma affirmed the continuation of the state's anti-drug campaign.
Bengaluru police have arrested four individuals, including three from other states, for allegedly selling various prohibited narcotic substances like ganja, MDMA, methamphetamine, and codeine cough syrup. The arrests led to the seizure of drugs and a car, with a total market value of Rs 14.94 lakh. The accused confessed to purchasing drugs at lower prices and selling them to the public and college students for profit.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday strongly rebutted allegations by Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey over 'deaths' allegedly due to the consumption of fake medicines and codeine syrup, asserting in the Assembly that no such case has come to the notice of the state government so far.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has arrested an alleged drug trafficker in Mirzapur and seized over 13,000 bottles of illegal codeine-based cough syrup worth approximately Rs 1.6 crore.
Uttar Pradesh DGP Rajeev Krishna stated that the state's law and order situation has significantly improved, with criminals losing their former confidence. He warned against anti-social elements using social media to intimidate and discussed ongoing probes into the Ayodhya Ram Mandir irregularities and the extradition of a drug trafficking kingpin. The DGP also highlighted the rising challenge of cybercrime and police efforts to combat it.
Delhi Police have arrested a 26-year-old medical store owner and dismantled a drug supply network operating in the outer Delhi area. The arrest followed a raid in Paharganj, prompted by information obtained during the interrogation of three individuals previously arrested with contraband.
The Delhi Police registered 24 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested 23 persons during a week-long anti-drug campaign that combined enforcement with large-scale awareness drives.
The son of a jailed kingpin has been arrested in connection with a large-scale codeine-based cough syrup trafficking network. The investigation has uncovered a multi-state racket involving shell companies and fake billing, with transactions worth crores of rupees.
Tripura Police's Crime Branch has filed a charge sheet against six individuals in connection with a Phensedyl smuggling case, following the seizure of a large quantity of the banned substance last year.
Delhi Police arrested three men involved in an illegal network supplying banned pharmaceutical drugs across Delhi and the NCR. The accused, working as medical representatives, were caught with substantial quantities of psychotropic substances and controlled medicines.
Thane police arrested 23 people, including two foreign nationals, and seized narcotics worth nearly 1.4 crore during a week-long anti-drug campaign.
Kanpur Crime Branch arrests a medical store owner for allegedly illegally buying and selling codeine-based cough syrup as part of a larger investigation into the illicit trade of regulated pharmaceuticals.
Kanpur police have frozen assets worth Rs 9.5 crore, including properties, vehicles, and bank accounts, as part of an investigation into an interstate racket involved in trafficking codeine-based cough syrups.
According to the NCRB, cannabis and opium derivatives continued to dominate India's drug seizure landscape in 2024, with enforcement agencies confiscating over 9.42 lakh kilograms of narcotic substances under the NDPS Act.
Police in Kashmir have arrested 14 drug peddlers across multiple districts as part of a 100-day campaign to eliminate drug use in Jammu and Kashmir. Contraband substances and related paraphernalia were seized during the operations.
Narcotics worth Rs 18.63 crore were destroyed in Navi Mumbai as part of the 'Nasha Mukt (Drug Free) Navi Mumbai' campaign. The destruction involved drugs seized in 55 cases and is part of a larger effort that has seen drugs worth Rs 38.45 crore seized in 114 cases. Recent crackdowns include busting a gang from Punjab involved in heroin and opium peddling.
Uttar Pradesh authorities have registered 74 cases and arrested 75 people in connection with the illegal storage and sale of codeine-based cough syrup. A minister alleges links to the Samajwadi Party and an SIT is investigating.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 524.9 kg of ganja worth approximately Rs 2.6 crore in Assam and arrested two individuals as part of increased operations before the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal.
The Congress party is intensifying its efforts to strengthen its organizational base in Uttar Pradesh, with plans to contest all 403 seats in the 2027 Assembly elections. Senior leaders emphasize grassroots preparations, voter outreach, and public meetings to regain political ground in the state.
Woakes came out with his left hand wrapped in a sling and tucked inside his sweater at the fall of the penultimate wicket with the fifth Test - which India won narrowly - tantalisingly placed.
Codeine-based formulations are under the scanner for misuse as a narcotic product.
Eight firearms and 112 rounds of ammunition were recovered from different districts of violence-hit Manipur during search operations by security forces, police said.
The 344 banned drugs include the fixed dose combination of Chlopheniramine Maleate and Codeine syrup sold under the popular cough syrup brand Corex.
Concerned at the state of affairs of the Indian Olympic Association, the International Olympic Committee has threatened to suspend the governing body if it fails to conduct its election within the coming weeks.
The central government has for the first time allowed a private company, Bajaj Healthcare, to process opium to extract alkaloids used to make pain-killers, cough syrups, and even cancer drugs. Two government factories in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, and Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, do the work yet, processing some 800 tonnes of opium gum annually to extract alkaloids. The government on Tuesday gave Thane-based Bajaj Healthcare an initial contract to process 500 tonnes of opium gum annually and wants production to be at 800 tonnes per annum (tpa) in the next five years, indicating the state's exit from the highly-regulated sector.
Several companies, including Indian units of Abbott Laboratories and Pfizer Inc, and domestic firms like Cipla Ltd and Macleods Pharmaceuticals, went to the Delhi High Court to try to get the ban lifted.
The special investigation team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, probing the Hyderpora encounter, on Tuesday said while one civilian was killed by the foreign terrorist, the owner of the building and a local militant died in "crossfire" after being used as a human shield by the hiding ultra.
In his State of the Union address to the US national legislature on Tuesday, Obama said: The American people deserve a tax code that lowers incentives to move jobs overseas and lowers tax rates for businesses and manufacturers that create jobs right here in America.
The next hearing on Pfizer's plea is slated for March 21
India battles big pharma over cough syrup abuse, reducing supplies
The Mumbai-based Piramal Healthcare is preparing to become the first private sector company to process opium for use in pharmaceutical products.
Scientists at the Imperial College of London discovered that theobromine, one of the stimulants in chocolate, is more effective in stopping persistent coughs than codeine, the medicine most commonly used, the Independent reported on Tuesday. The theobromine suppresses the nerve activity that causes coughing, and it is thought that the viscous quality of melted chocolate could help soothe tickly coughs.
The introduction of e-pharmacy, to protect the interest of a handful of players, would hamper the interest of 800,000 chemists and 80 lakh workers and their families
She also suggested exploring the possibility of setting up de-addiction centres near these railway stations.
Govt bans brands with annual sales worth Rs 3,728 crore.
A notice issued by the Indian Health Ministry at the weekend said that a government-appointed committee of experts had found that the banned combinations were "likely to involve risk to human beings, whereas safer alternatives to the said drug are available."
