AGARTALA, May 7 (TIWN): The Tripura Police in an anti-narcotic drive seized thousands of bottles of contraband cough syrup near Amtali being smuggled to Bangladesh.

Acting on a tip off on Wednesday Officer-In-Charge of Amtali Police Staion Pranjit Ghosh seized at least 4000 bottles of phensedyl from Mohashkhala under Amtali Police Station. The phensedyl bottles were seized from a truck bearing number UP15-AT-6272, while it was unloading the illegal items probably to smuggle to neighbouring country Bangladesh.

The seized consignment of cough syrup is worth more than Rs. 12 lakh in local market. It was reported that the truck bearing number UP15-AT-6272 arrived here at the area and was procedding towards Goolbazar.

The driver of the truck was arrested namely Rizamul Hussian.

 However, at the meantime acting on a tip off Officer-In-Charge of Amtali Police Staion Pranjit Ghosh rushed to the spot and conducted a raid and seized the contraband items from the truck. According to the source, hundreds of smugglers based in Tripura are sending spurious Phensedyl, a cough syrup, with an exceedingly high dose of codeine and other drugs to Bangladesh.

Consumption of alcohol is banned in Muslim majority Bangladesh and thus the demand of alternative means like cough syrup is on the rise in the neighbouring country. Numerous smugglers of both sides of border are engaged in illegal trade of Phensedyl as it gives them huge income, the source added. However it is to be mentioned here that police often detain vehicles and seize thousands of bottles of Phensedyl consignments that are not used in Tripura. But, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The network is very deep ­rooted and widespread. The Phensedyl smuggling would, in future, become a major deterrent to better Indo-­Bangla relations.