DRI Seizes 1.11 Lakh Codeine Syrup Bottles
Operations in Tripura and West Bengal Uncover Concealed Narcotics; One Arrested
GG News Bureau
Agartala/Kolkata, 6th July: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized over 1.11 lakh bottles of Codeine-based cough syrup in two separate operations in Tripura and West Bengal, dealing a major blow to suspected narcotics trafficking networks. One person has been arrested under the provisions of the Narcotics Control Bureau.
In the first operation on July 2, DRI officers intercepted a consignment in the parcel van of a train bound for Agartala. A total of 55,626 bottles of Codeine-based cough syrup were recovered from 80 metallic drums, where they had been concealed beneath a layer of powdery material. The operation was carried out with assistance from the Railway Protection Force and the Assam Rifles. One person who arrived to receive the consignment was arrested.
In a separate operation, DRI officers searched a warehouse at Dankuni in West Bengal and recovered 56,225 bottles concealed inside 104 sealed iron drums beneath china clay powder. The entire consignment was seized under the NDPS Act.
The agency said Codeine-based cough syrups, though legally used for therapeutic purposes, are frequently diverted by organised smuggling networks for illicit consumption due to their narcotic properties.
DRI said the seizures underscore the sophisticated concealment methods adopted by traffickers and reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks through intelligence-led operations.
