SHILLONG, Oct 29 � Customs officials in Meghalaya have seized 24,000 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrup worth over Rs 37 lakh at the Shillong Bye-Pass today that was bound for Tripura and possibly meant to be smuggled across to Bangladesh.
Officials said that intelligence about the illegal consignment alerted the Customs sleuths who stationed themselves at the Shillong Bye-Pass. Papers carried by the truck showed it was assigned to carry rice from Changsari railway head in Guwahati to FCI in Agartala.
The truck did carry a consignment of 257 bags of rice, but hidden neatly under the rice bags were 81 cartons of the prescription cough syrup. Customs officials intercepted the truck after it passed the Bye-Pass toll gate at Diengpasoh village and seized the illegal consignment. The truck driver was also arrested.
Officials said that the Phensedyl bottles were meant to be smuggled across to Bangladesh with the psychotropic substance being in great demand in the neighbouring country. Meanwhile, the truck driver has been booked under the Narcotric Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
