Dhubri, Feb. 17: A truck laden with huge quantities of cough syrup, valued at Rs 37 lakh, was seized at Chagolia inter-state checkgate by a team led by Dhubri superintendent of police Pradip Chandra Saloi last night.
A police source in Chagolia said the Agartala-bound truck was coming from Lucknow.
The Dhubri SP was tipped off on the consignment and the 12-wheeler truck was brought to Chagolia police outpost for checking.
Altogether 29,700 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrup and 10,200 bottles of Recodex were recovered, the source said.
Saloi told The Telegraph that he had been monitoring the transportation of cough syrup from other states to the Northeast and Manipuri ganja to other parts of India though this (Chagolia) gate.
"We have seized quite a large quantity of cough syrup, hem (ganja) and red sandal timber since last year in Dhubri district. But we are trying to break this chain that is active along this route to Agartala," Saloi added.
He said the driver, Mohammad Shahabuddin, and handyman Bisu Das were arrested and being interrogated.
The Chagolia inter-state checkgate in Dhubri has become a prime route for illegal transportation of cough syrup and hem (ganja) in recent times.
Manipuri hem (ganja), which has a huge demand in the country, is being illegally transported from various places in the Northeast.
The cough syrup is supplied from Bihar, Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
A senior police officer of Dhubri district said the smuggling of cough syrup now involves a multicrore-rupee racket and an inter-state and international network.
Last year, Dhubri and Palasbari police seized cough syrup valued at Rs 20 lakh and hem which will fetch crores of rupees on the streets.
Moreover, 4,000 bottles of Phensedyl packed in 80 cartons, valued at Rs 5 lakh were seized by Gouripur police of Dhubri district from an Agartala-bound truck.
Sales tax officials seized 19 quintals of hem (ganja) from a truck bearing number WB-23C /3396 at Chagolia inter-state checkgate.
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