• Source:Jagran News Network

The network of drug smugglers is rapidly expanding in Patna, with narcotics increasingly being supplied to adolescents and youth. Recent seizures, ranging from narcotic injections to banned cough syrup, have highlighted the growing menace. Dainik Jagran has consistently drawn the attention of the government and administration to the issue of drug dealers targeting young people.

Acting on a tip-off, Patna Police on Saturday conducted raids in the Chitragupta Nagar and Chowk police station areas and recovered a large consignment of banned cough syrup. A total of 30,380 bottles, estimated to be worth around Rs 60 lakh, were seized. Two accused were arrested in the Chowk police station case, while a father-son duo involved in the Chitragupta Nagar case is currently absconding.

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During the investigation, police found that the seized cough syrup had been sourced from Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra and was intended for supply in Patna and other cities. Efforts are underway to identify the mastermind behind the racket and other links in the supply chain. City SP (East) Parichay Kumar said a special drive has been launched to curb narcotics smuggling and arrest those involved.

According to police, Chitragupta Nagar police station received information that a large quantity of banned cough syrup was stored in a house located in Kabari Gali on Moolchand Path. A team led by SHO Roshni Kumari raided the residence of Vasudev and his son Vijay, recovering 25,580 bottles from two rooms. The bottles were manufactured by three companies based in Himachal Pradesh, and the accused had no valid licence to store the medicine. Investigations revealed that the duo had been involved in the illegal trade for the past one-and-a-half years.

In a separate operation, police seized 4,800 bottles of banned cough syrup from two vehicles during a routine check near Jhauganj Chimney Ghat in the Chowk police station area. Two persons, Ranjan Kumar and Shankar Kumar, were arrested. This consignment had been sourced from Maharashtra.

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Earlier, on November 29, police seized cough syrup and narcotic drugs worth approximately Rs 70 lakh from CDA Colony under Shastrinagar police station, arresting five accused. In the first week of November, 16,000 bottles of banned cough syrup were seized from the Chowk area of Patna City. The Drug Control Department had also earlier recovered cough syrup worth Rs 42 lakh from the Bypass police station area.

Investigations revealed that the seized cough syrup contained codeine phosphate far above permissible limits, indicating that it was manufactured for intoxication. The medicines were stored without a licence. In another case in November, two persons from Faizabad and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh were arrested during a vehicle check on the Buxar-Patna four-lane highway, with cough syrup recovered from two trucks.

Police sources said there were plans to store the cough syrup seized in the Shastrinagar area in Patna and later traffic it to Nepal and Bangladesh. Preliminary investigations confirmed that a large portion of the codeine cough syrup being smuggled into Bihar is sourced from Himachal Pradesh. Most of the bottles seized from Chitragupta Nagar on Saturday were also manufactured there.

Previously, the Drugs Department had taken action in the Agamkuan area, seizing banned cough syrup worth around Rs 26 lakh from Transport Nagar and arresting a resident of Uttar Pradesh. In September, 4,800 bottles of banned cough syrup manufactured in Himachal Pradesh were also seized from the Malsalami police station area.


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