LUCKNOW, March 20 -- Lucknow police on Thursday arrested a wanted accused for his alleged involvement in an illegal racket dealing in codeine-based cough syrups and other psychotropic medicines. The accused, identified as Arush Saxena, 37, was arrested from Ghaziabad in a joint operation by Indira Nagar police and the surveillance team of the Lucknow police commissionerate, following technical inputs and a tip-off, according to an official statement. Assistant commissioner of police (Gazipur) Anindaya Vikram Singh said the case dates back to December 9, 2025, when an inspector of the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) in Lucknow lodged a complaint regarding the alleged illegal stocking and sale of large quantities of codeine-based cough syrups and other restricted medicines. "An FIR was subsequently registered at the Indira Nagar police station under sections 210, 318(4), 338, 336(3), 340(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and sections 8 and 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985," he added. SHO (Indira Nagar) Sunil Kr Tiwari said the accused, along with his associates, was engaged in organised illegal trade of these substances to earn unlawful profits. "The drugs were sold for non-medical consumption, particularly among youths, raising concerns over growing substance abuse," Tiwari said. During the investigation, another accused, Pritam Singh alias Monty Sardar, had been arrested earlier and sent to judicial custody. Saxena had been absconding since then and was eventually tracked down in Ghaziabad. He has been brought to Lucknow and further legal proceedings are underway, officials said. Police said the accused used to illegally stock large quantities of restricted medicines and distribute them without prescriptions, in violation of drug control regulations....