LUCKNOW, Dec. 2 -- The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Tuesday arrested dismissed Uttar Pradesh police constable Alok Pratap Singh, 46, a suspected key facilitator in the multi-crore Codeine syrup trafficking network spread across multiple states and nations, confirmed senior police officials in a press note shared by the STF on Tuesday. Alok Pratap Singh had been absconding for a long time.

They said the probe so far uncovered evidence suggesting Singh acted as an operator, protector, and facilitator of the illegal syndicate that supplied Codeine-based cough syrup across states and potentially to neighbouring countries.

A senior STF official said Singh had reportedly applied for surrender before a Lucknow court, but STF teams...