Agartala, 20th August 2026 : The BSF’s 81 Battalion, in coordination with Sonamura Police, seized a large consignment of suspected contraband cough syrup during a late-night operation along the India-Bangladesh border in Sipahijala district.
Acting on a tip-off, BSF personnel were conducting a patrol near the barbed-wire fencing in the Matinagar border area when they noticed suspicious items concealed inside a dense forest. The consignment was allegedly kept there for subsequent smuggling across the border into Bangladesh.
The BSF and police jointly searched the area and recovered 525 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup. The seized items were subsequently brought to Sonamura Police Station for further investigation.
Speaking to reporters, Sonamura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tapas Das said the estimated market value of the seized contraband was around Rs 5 lakh.
The OC said an investigation has been launched to identify those involved in the smuggling operation and assured that all persons connected with the illegal trade would be brought under the law at the earliest.
Preliminary suspicion suggests that the cough syrup was deliberately hidden close to the border fencing so that it could later be transported across to Bangladesh. However, the joint operation by the BSF and police foiled the alleged smuggling attempt before the consignment could be taken across the international border.
Further investigation is underway to trace the source of the contraband and identify the intended recipients.
