Ex-UP Constable Alok Pratap Singh held in Rs 1,000-cr cough syrup racket; luxury seizures

• Former UP Police constable Alok Pratap Singh arrested in a Rs 1,000-crore codeine-based cough syrup racket.
• Investigators seized luxury items like Prada and Gucci bags, Rado watches, and inspected his 7,000-sq-ft residence, indicating disproportionate assets.
• Singh allegedly ran wholesale cough syrup units in UP and Jharkhand, trafficking consignments to other states and across borders to Bangladesh and Nepal.
• He was dismissed twice from the police force, first in 2006 for a gold looting case and again in 2019, before allegedly becoming involved in the syndicate.
• The racket involves illegal diversion and sale of codeine-based cough syrups; 3.5 lakh bottles seized and 32 people arrested, with prime accused Shubham Jaiswal believed to be in Dubai.

Why It Matters: Corrupt ex-cop's arrest highlights how insiders fuel massive illegal cough syrup trade.