Raipur, October 27: Raipur Commissionerate police arrested two men, including a medical store operator, for allegedly selling banned codeine-based cough syrup without doctors’ prescriptions. Police seized 32 bottles of cough syrup worth ₹12,800 during a joint operation.
The arrested accused have been identified as Dheeraj Kumar Dubey (48), operator of Vinayak Medical Store in Brahmadev Nagar, Labhandi, and his associate Jeet Singh Suryavanshi alias Gyanendra Singh (29), a resident of Labhandi Suraj Nagar Housing Board Colony in Raipur.
According to police, Jeet Singh Suryavanshi has a previous criminal record involving narcotics cases registered at Telibandha police station and has also served time in jail.
Acting on a tip-off received on October 26, 2026, the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit learned that restricted codeine cough syrup was allegedly being sold illegally at Vinayak Medical Store in Brahmadev Nagar, Labhandi, under the jurisdiction of Telibandha police station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Cyber) Smritik Ranalaya and North Zone DCP Tarkeshwar Patel directed subordinate officers to verify the information and take appropriate action.
A joint team comprising personnel from the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit, Anti-Narcotics Task Force and Telibandha police then deployed a decoy customer to verify the tip-off. During the test purchase, the medical store operator allegedly sold the restricted cough syrup without a valid doctor’s prescription.
Following the verification, the team raided the premises and apprehended both accused. Police said the men failed to produce valid documents authorising the storage and sale of the codeine-based syrup.
A case has been registered at Telibandha police station under Section 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and further legal proceedings have been initiated.
Investigators are questioning the accused to identify the source of supply, distribution network and backward and forward linkages of the illegal trade. Police said strict legal action would be taken against other individuals found involved during the investigation.
