25,000 bottles of banned cough syrup seized, 3 held in Bengal

Three persons have been arrested with 25,000 bottles of a particular brand of banned cough syrup, which is used as an intoxicant, in West Bengal's Malda district, a senior Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, NCB sleuths of the Kolkata zonal unit on Monday intercepted a truck at Gazol More in Malda district and recovered 25,000 bottles of the banned cough syrup concealed under food items in the vehicle, he said.

The truck driver and the helper and another person were arrested and a case registered against them under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the officer said.

An investigation into the case has been launched, he added.

The cough syrup contains Codeine Phosphate, a narcotic drug which can cause addiction when used in large quantities over a period of time.