DRI Seizes Over 1.11 Lakh Codeine Syrup Bottles in Tripura, One Arrested

In a major crackdown on pharmaceutical drug trafficking, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized more than 1.11 lakh bottles of codeine-based cough syrup in two separate operations in Tripura and West Bengal , arresting one person in connection with the smuggling network.

The seizures, carried out under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 , are part of the DRI's ongoing efforts to dismantle organised narcotics supply chains that divert regulated pharmaceutical products into the illegal drug market.

In the first operation on July 2 , DRI officers intercepted a consignment being transported in the parcel van of a train bound for Agartala . Officials recovered 55,626 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup concealed inside 80 metallic drums beneath a layer of powdery material used as cover cargo. The operation was conducted with assistance from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Assam Rifles . One person who allegedly arrived to receive the consignment was arrested.

In a separate operation around the same period, DRI officers searched a warehouse in Dankuni, West Bengal , where they recovered 56,225 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup hidden inside 104 sealed iron drums beneath a layer of china clay powder. The entire consignment was seized under the NDPS Act.

Combined, the two operations resulted in the seizure of 1,11,851 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup and the arrest of one suspect.

Codeine, an opioid derivative, is legally used in regulated pharmaceutical preparations for therapeutic purposes. However, law enforcement agencies have repeatedly flagged its misuse after cough syrups containing the substance are diverted into illicit markets, where they are abused for their narcotic effects or trafficked across state and international borders.

The latest seizures highlight the evolving methods employed by organised smuggling networks, which increasingly rely on sophisticated concealment techniques to evade detection. The DRI said intelligence-driven operations and coordinated enforcement remain central to its strategy to disrupt narcotics trafficking and prevent the illegal diversion of pharmaceutical drugs.