Varanasi: Two arrested in Rs 7 Cr illegal codeine cough syrup racket

• Two men, Vishal Kumar Jaiswal and Badal Arya, were arrested in Varanasi for the illegal sale of codeine-based cough syrup.
• Shubham Jaiswal of Shaili Traders allegedly obtained a drug licence using forged documents to purchase and sell large quantities of syrup for recreational drug use.
• Vishal and Arya were lured into the business by Shubham and Amit Jaiswal, who helped them get drug licences with forged documents and paid monthly commissions.
• The illegal operation conducted business worth approximately Rs 7 crore within a year, involving sales of over Rs 5 crore by Vishal's firm and over Rs 2 crore by Arya's firm.

Why It Matters: It shows a significant illegal cough syrup trade using fake licenses.