Bhaktinagar police arrested a youth with narcotic injections and banned cough syrup in Siliguri late on Thursday night.

The arrest took place during a late-night operation in the town's Eastern Bypass after police received a tip-off.

A police source said officers in plain clothes intercepted a youth on a scooter. A search of a bag stored in the vehicle revealed 145 vials of narcotic injections and 15 bottles of cough syrup, the source said.

Jagabandhu Roy, 27, from Cooch Behar, was taken into custody.

Police said Roy had come from Cooch Behar with the intention of distributing the consignment in Siliguri.

“We had specific information and planned a quick interception. The recovery was significant, and the matter is now under investigation,” said an officer involved in the operation.

The police booked Roy under the NDPS Act. Investigators are now trying to trace the source of the drugs and identify the network involved in the supply chain, said a source.

"Siliguri police have stepped up checks on the flow of narcotic substances into the town, particularly through vehicles entering from neighbouring districts," said sources.

Officials said that the seizure on Thursday revealed that smaller consignments of banned substances continue to find their way into the city despite crackdowns.

“The trade is shifting into less obvious routes, using two-wheelers and smaller carriers. This is why such seizures matter,” said a police official.

Police said that further raids would follow in an attempt to curb drug trade.