Illegal cough syrup, yaba tablets seized in Cooch Behar, several people held

Cooch Behar: Acting on intelligence inputs, the Siliguri uint of the the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal carried out a major operation in the Sitai Police Station area of Cooch Behar district, seizing a large quantity of illegal cough syrup and arresting one individual in connection with the case.

According to STF sources, a special team raided the residence of Latif Mia (60) in Ada Bari Gardanata village on Monday night. During the operation, officers recovered approximately 12,000 bottles of banned cough syrup, packed in 80 sacks. Latif Mia was arrested on the spot and a case has been registered against him.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the seized consignment was intended for smuggling to other Indian states and across international borders. Upon interrogation, Latif Mia revealed that the operation was allegedly masterminded by one Mohammad Miya, a resident of Bala Pukri, also under the Sitai Police Station jurisdiction. Mohammad Miya is suspected of storing the contraband at Latif Mia’s house before arranging its distribution.

The market value of the seized cough syrup is estimated to be around Rs 60 lakh. The STF has lodged a written complaint against both individuals at the Sitai Police Station and further investigation is underway.

In a separate incident, the Tufanganj Police also achieved a breakthrough in curbing drug trafficking in the region. Acting on a tip-off, officers conducted a late-night operation on Monday in the Balrampur Sol Thukri area, leading to the arrest of two individuals with approximately 1700 Yaba tablets. Cooch Behar Additional Superintendent of Police Krishna Gopal Meena, addressing a Press conference on Tuesday, confirmed the arrests of Jahidul Ali (25) of Sahebganj Shukarurkuthi and Jahidul Mandal (28) of Tufanganj. Along with the narcotics, the police recovered two mobile phones and Rs 4 lakh in cash. According to investigators, Jahidul Ali had sourced the Yaba tablets from Assam and was in the process of delivering them to Jahidul Mandal when the arrests were made. The cash seized is believed to be part of the payment for the consignment.

Further investigations are ongoing to trace the supply chain and the broader network involved in the trafficking of banned substances.