LUCKNOW, Dec. 4 -- Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take cognizance of the 'cough syrup mafia' as he also requested the Centre to take strict action against the illegal cough syrup syndicate spread to several states and nations.

In a statement issued on Thursday, he said, "The Codeine-based cough syrup syndicate has spread its smuggling business not only to various districts of the state but also to Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and beyond to Nepal, Bangladesh and South Africa. This banned narcotic syrup has claimed the lives of many innocent people."

"The banned syrup trade flourished in Purvanchal with the patronage of senior officials in Varanasi, Jaunpur, Chan...