The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids across 25 premises in Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaunpur and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh apart from those located in Ranchi and Ahmedabad, in connection with a money laundering investigation against an alleged illegal cough syrup trade racket in Uttar Pradesh, officials said. The ED has booked a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to probe the alleged illegal trade, reported PTI. 

The locations being raided are linked to absconding main accused Shubham Jaiswal and his alleged associates Alok Singh, Amit Singh and some others. ED officials said that cough syrup manufacturers and a Chartered Accountant (CA) Vishnu Aggarwal are also being raided. 

Main accused Shubham Jaiswal is believed to have fled to Dubai, while his father has been arrested by UP Police.

ALSO READ

ED acts against suspended cop

The federal probe agency and revenue department officials also reached suspended constable Alok Singh’s residence as part of the ongoing investigations in the cough syrup syndicate case. They raided his residence, after he failed to appear before it on Dec 8. 

Raids were conducted at several locations, including Lucknow, Varanasi, Ranchi, Ahmedabad, Jaunpur, and Saharanpur, in connection with the case.

ALSO READ

30 FIRs registered, 32 persons in custody

The mass action comes after ED acted on nearly 30 FIRs registered in Uttar Pradesh. These all were linked to incidents of misuse of codeine-based cough syrups (CBCS), their illegal manufacturing, trade and transport including across the Bangladesh border. 

The agency estimates the total proceeds of crime at about Rs 1,000 crore, PTI stated. A total of 32 persons have been taken into custody by the state police till now which has constituted a SIT to probe the case.