The Special Task Force (STF) of the Madhya Pradesh Police conducted a major raid on a residential house in Patel City, located on Airport Road in Bhopal, exposing an illegal repackaging factory for narcotic cough syrup. During the operation, authorities seized 49,920 bottles of Onerex cough syrup. With each bottle carrying a listed price of Rs 201, the value of the seized syrup alone is estimated at over Rs 1 crore. Along with the medicine, police confiscated packaging materials, labelling machines, and a delivery vehicle, bringing the total value of the seized goods to approximately Rs 1.5 crore. In connection with the raid, the STF has taken 10 individuals into custody, which includes three minors. The identified adult suspects include Akash Bhati from Shyampur, Chandrapal Mukhiya from Ichhawar, Dhansingh from Kurawar, Aqeel Khan from Parwaliya, Hariom Mogia from Ichhawar, Naresh Bhati from Shyampur, and Ajay Mogia from Kheri.

 

The suspects hail from various districts, including Bhopal, Sehore, Rajgarh, and Vidisha. Initial interrogations of the suspects revealed a sophisticated modus operandi used to evade detection. The gang sourced bulk cartons of narcotic cough syrups, specifically Onerex and Off-Cough, from outside the city. Using machinery installed in the rented residential property, they would systematically erase original batch numbers and expiry dates using chemicals. Once the original identity of the medication was removed, they applied new labels and repackaged the syrup to sell at premium prices to drug peddlers and addicts. Superintendent of Police Rajesh Singh Bhadauria stated that the STF had been monitoring the gang for several weeks following multiple intelligence inputs. The police maintained discreet surveillance on the suspects’ movements for 10 days before finalising the raid. Investigations have indicated that the criminal operation had been active for nearly a year, supplying large quantities of the illicitly repackaged medication into the market before being dismantled by the task force.