Just under a month following the arrest of an individual caught with restricted drugs valued at Rs. 3.66 lakh in Kashimira, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police successfully traced the origin of the contraband to a commercial establishment situated in Valsad city, Gujarat, on Friday.
On September 18th, the ANC had apprehended a Mira Road resident found in possession of restricted drugs, including 300 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine phosphate and 10,800 tablets of Alprazolam. In the course of their investigations to determine the source of the contraband, the ANC managed to acquire a mobile number allegedly used by one of the suspects to communicate with buyers. Utilizing call data records and technical surveillance, the police located the accused's phone to be active within the tower limits of Sethia Nagar in Valsad.
Promptly, ANC personnel led by PSI Santosh Ghadge rushed to Valsad and apprehended the accused. Subsequent intensive interrogations led the accused to disclose a larger consignment valued at over Rs. 5.22 lakh. This included 969 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine phosphate and 1,930 tablets of Alprazolam, both classified as scheduled drugs. The misuse and illegal sale of these drugs as narcotics are punishable under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985.
Notably, stringent regulations govern the sale and purchase of such cough syrups, which are recognized as potent intoxicants. Nonetheless, numerous drug addicts consume these syrups to achieve a high. Moreover, unregistered suppliers allegedly distribute cough syrups and tablets to chemists who reportedly sell them at prices exceeding the maximum retail price, often without requiring the mandated prescription from a registered medical practitioner, according to sources.
