Assam Police seize 2,100 illegal cough syrup bottles, arrest three in Karimganj

Karimganj (Assam) [India], May 30 : Assam Police seized 2,100 cough syrup bottles from a truck in the Churaibari area of Karimganj district along the Assam-Tripura border and arrested three persons on Thursday.
Karimganj Superintendent of Police Partha Protim Das said that based on secret information, the police team intercepted a truck near the Churaibari check post.
Upon a thorough search, the police team recovered 14 cartons (totalling 14 x 150 = 2,100 bottles) of Codeine phosphate cough syrup ESKUF from the vehicle.
The truck was heading from North India towards Tripura, the SP said.
The arrested persons have been identified as Gambhir Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Sontosh Yadav, all natives of Uttar Pradesh.
A case has been registered against the accused persons, and we are further investigating the matter, he added.
Cough syrups containing codeine phosphate are known to have an intoxicating effect on the nervous system and are widely abused due to their easy availability at pharmacies. The government has banned Codeine-based syrups.
This seizure comes hardly two months after a similar recovery of cough syrup bottles in Karimganj district.
On March 12, the Assam police claimed to have seized 9,700 bottles of cough syrup from a truck at the Churaibari check post near the Assam-Tripura border.
Two persons were arrested in connection with the seizure for illegal transportation of cough syrup bottles.
Following a thorough search by Assam Police, approximately 193 cartons containing about 9,700 bottles of Codeine phosphate cough syrup Eskuf/Phensedyl were found in the vehicle, a police officer of Karimganj district had said.
Two persons, namely Sadananda Ray and Sanjay Ray, both residents of West Bengal, were detained in this connection.