Murshidabad police seize 2,000 bottles of banned cough syrup, 3 arrested

The Murshidabad police on Saturday night seized 2,000 bottles of banned Phensedyl cough syrup from Raninagar area and arrested 3 persons.

A patrolling vehicle was following a speeding motorbike on which three persons were riding. The bike rider took his vehicle towards the India-Bangladesh border at Budhurpara where police intercepted them.

Police arrested Rafikul Shekh, Mamun Shekh and Dipen Chowdhuri from the spot who were carrying 2,000 bottles which were packed in three mid-sized craters. It may be mentioned that police had earlier recorded several similar cases at Murshidabad's Raninagar. Two drug smugglers were arrested and 1,000 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrup were seized from a vehicle in this area last month. According to investigators, the drug is in high demand in India and Bangladesh despite it being banned in both the countries. The reason behind the demand of cough syrup is its high Codeine content which attracts the addicts.

As a result the cost of the syrup is abnormally high in the underground market with the addicts are always ready to cough anything up to buy a bottle. The investigating officers revealed that several others were involved in the racket. The youth mainly get involved in the racket to make quick money. Police keep a tab on the functioning of the medicine and drug shops in the bordering areas as they have received tip-offs that some owners of those medicine shops are also involved in the racket.

Besides increasing vigil, probe has begun to identify the places where the banned cough syrup factories are located. Sources said the investigating officers have got information about the places in the bordering areas where the members of the racket store cough syrup bottles before smuggling them to Bangladesh. But the offenders change their destination almost every other week.