The ED raided multiple locations in several states on Friday, December 12, 2025, as part of a money laundering investigation into an alleged Cough Syrup Scam.
The searches are taking place at 25 sites in Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaunpur, and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, as well as in Ranchi and Ahmedabad. The federal agency has filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to investigate the alleged illegal trade.
ED Raid 25 sites in Cough Syrup Scam
Raid locations linked to the main accused, Shubham Jaiswal, who fled, along with his alleged associates, Alok Singh, Amit Singh, and others, including cough syrup manufacturers and Chartered Accountant Vishnu Aggarwal, according to ED officials.
The ED’s actions stem from about 30 FIRs filed by the U.P. Police after the state government became aware of incidents involving the misuse of codeine-based cough syrups (CBCS), their illegal manufacturing, trade, and transport, including across the Bangladesh border.
Scam of ₹1,000 crore
The total estimated proceeds of crime in this Cough Syrup Scam case are around ₹1,000 crore, officials say. Shubham Jaiswal believed to have escaped to Dubai, while the U.P. Police have arrested his father. So far, the state police have taken 32 individuals into custody and have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case, officials noted.
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