Vadodara: Acting on a tip-off, the special operations group (SOG) of city police on Friday arrested one Hirav Pandya on Waghodia Road, for allegedly running an illegal cough syrup and prescription drug racket in the city.Police said Pandya’s involvement came to light after the interrogation of Satnasingh Sikligar, a resident of Ajwa Road. During a raid on Sikligar’s home on Wednesday, investigators uncovered a cache of 128 bottle of illegal cough syrup and dozens of restricted tablets. The SOG brought in the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) inspectors to examine the seized stock.With both suspects in custody, the investigation has shifted toward uncovering the supply chain. Pandya will be interrogated on the origin of the contraband and to determine how many other buyers or peddlers in Vadodara were part of this distribution network. Officials are also checking if the duo operated a secret warehouse or utilised local courier services to smuggle these heavily scheduled prescription drugs from other states into Vadodara city areas.
