6 held with huge consignments of banned cough syrup near Bangladesh border

Six people were arrested with huge consignments of Phensedyl cough syrup, a banned drug, from near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's Malda and Nadia districts, officials said on Tuesday. The BSF arrested two persons on Tuesday in Malda, while the Nadia district police arrested four smugglers on Monday, they said.

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel nabbed two persons and seized 1,325 bottles of the banned cough syrup from them while patrolling in the Nadirkhana area along the Indo-Bangladesh border around 3.30 am, officials said. The arrested persons were identified as Abdul Sheikh and Mahibul Sheikh - both residents of Malda, they said.

During interrogation, they revealed that two persons had given them the consignment and promised that each of them would get Rs 500 for every bag of cough syrup they smuggled into Bangladesh, the BSF said. In Nadia, police raided a godown at Baroari para in Majdia Bazar in Krishnaganj police station area and seized 5,100 bottles of the cough syrup, officials said.

Four persons were arrested in this connection, they added. An investigation has been started to find out whether other people are also involved, police said. Officials said that the area is near the international border and they suspect the bottles were kept at the godown for smuggling to Bangladesh. The BSF said they have arrested 24 persons so far this year for trying to smuggle Phensedyl and seized 45,590 bottles of the cough syrup in raids along the border.