The accused was waiting for customers near a bridge when police received a tip-off and caught him red-handed.

In a significant breakthrough under Operation Prahar 2.0, the Amahiya police have arrested a man for illegally selling codeine-based cough syrup, commonly known as Corex. The accused was concealing the contraband in a water jar to avoid suspicion.

According to police, a tip-off was received on July 1 that a young man was sitting in suspicious condition near the culvert at Khamaria House in Narendra Nagar. The informant described him as wearing blue jeans and a sky-blue T-shirt, carrying a water jar containing illicit cough syrup and waiting for customers.

Acting on the information, the Amahiya police team reached the spot. The accused tried to flee upon seeing the police but was caught after a cordon was set up. He was identified as Mayank Mishra alias Aman Gautam (24), a resident of Sundar Nagar, Bodabag.

During the search, police recovered the illicit cough syrup hidden inside the water jar. The syrup was seized and the accused was arrested. A case has been registered against him under relevant sections.

Amahiya police station in-charge Shiva Agrawal said the district police have been continuously running campaigns against drug abuse. The operation was carried out based on intelligence inputs.

"Action will continue against those involved in the sale and trafficking of illicit narcotic substances. We are committed to making Rewa drug-free," Agrawal said.

Operation Prahar 2.0, launched by Rewa police earlier this year, targets drug peddlers and the illegal narcotics trade. Multiple arrests have been made under the campaign, with police focusing on both street-level dealers and supply chain networks.

Further investigation is underway to trace the source of the cough syrup and identify other links in the network.