Baragada: In a major crackdown on the illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup, Baragada Town Police on Wednesday arrested four persons and seized 720 bottles of codeine cough syrup worth around Rs 4 lakh during a raid behind a roadside eatery on Old NH-6 in the district.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team conducted a raid behind ‘Ganapathi’ Hotel, where the accused were allegedly engaged in the illegal sale of the prohibited cough syrup. During the operation, police recovered 720 bottles of codeine cough syrup, Rs 5,100 in cash suspected to be the proceeds of the illegal trade, two vehicles and two mobile phones.
The four accused were taken into custody and later produced before a local court.
Baragada Superintendent of Police (SP) said the seized cough syrup is estimated to be worth around Rs 4 lakh. He said the operation was carried out as part of the district police’s sustained drive against the illegal trafficking of narcotic and psychotropic substances.
The SP warned that stringent action would be taken against those involved in the illegal drug trade and said efforts were underway to identify the source of the contraband and trace other members of the network.
