BSF arrest Bangladeshi national for smuggling banned cough syrup

A Bangladeshi national was arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) at Hili in South Dinajpur while the accused was smuggling banned cough syrup consumed to get intoxicated. 

The drug is banned in India and Bangladesh. But according to various investigating agency, it is in high demand in both the countries. The reason being its Codeine content is unusually high that attracts addicts. 

There are many people those are addicted to cough syrups and they are usually ready to pay anything to get a bottle of the banned drug. 

The accused Sujan Ali, who was arrested, had somehow managed to enter the Indian territory to collect a cartoon filled with cough syrup bottles. BSF jawans somehow noticed him and his Indian counterpart and they chased both the accused. The Indian counterpart had managed to flee, but the Bangladeshi national had failed to find a way out. Cough syrup bottles worth a few thousand were recovered from him. He was taking the bottles across the border to Bangladesh. 

Few days ago some people, who are the residents of Nepal, were arrested from Siliguri when they had gathered to collect a consignment of cough syrup bottles from their Indian counterpart. 

Investigation had revealed that the chain of racket starts from some second tier city in the western part of the country, where the syrup is being made and packed.

Many people are involved in the racket and the chain works so smoothly to take the bottles upto the bordering areas that the investigating agencies do not get any prior information. Mainly youth are members of the racket and they get engaged into the job to make fast money.

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials also keep a tab on the functioning of the medicine and drug shops in the bordering areas. In many cases it was found that some owners of medicine shops were also involved in the racket. 

Besides increasing vigil in the bordering areas, probe has been initiated to reach to the root of the production of the banned cough syrup. 

A police officer said the arrest of the youth from Siliguri had come as a major breakthrough for the NCB and it is expected that they can provide many details about the big players of the racket which had been operating in the eastern part of the country. At the same time they will also help to arrest the kingpins.