PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 9 -- From ganja and codeine-based cough syrup to smack and synthetic drugs, a series of major seizures this year in Prayagraj highlighted the city's evolving role in the interstate narcotics trade.

While officials have long identified the district as a convenient transit point for traffickers moving pharmaceutical and illegal drugs between states, largely due to its strategic location along major highways and extensive rail connectivity, recent developments suggest a more concerning shift. The discovery of a clandestine manufacturing unit in September has raised alarms that Prayagraj is moving beyond being a transit route and could be emerging as a base for synthetic drug production.

According to additional commissioner ...