A team of the Narcotics Control Bureau, aided by the BSF, intercepted an export-bound Indian truck that was trying to smuggle cough syrup and other medicines to Bangladesh through the Petrapole land port in North 24-Parganas on Wednesday morning.
At least 1,000 bottles of Phensedyl, a banned cough syrup used as a “recreational drug” in Bangladesh, were found hidden in the driver’s cabin with export items like cotton yarn.
A BSF official in Calcutta said that acting on specific information, the checking was jointly carried out by personnel of the NCB and the BSF.
The driver of the truck was arrested. A case under relevant sections of the Narcotics Act has been slapped against him.
“It is very alarming that a cargo (truck) taking export items to Bangladesh had been carrying smuggled items,” a senior BSF official in Calcutta said.
Following this incident, clearing agents at the land port have demanded the installation of scanners and more CCTV cameras as protection against such smuggling attempts in the future.
