Agartala, 16th April 2026: Assam Police achieved a major breakthrough at the Churaibari watch post on the Assam-Tripura border, seizing a huge consignment of banned cough syrup concealed beneath a truckload of watermelons on Wednesday. Two drivers from Assam and Tripura were arrested in connection with the case.
Acting on a tip-off, police launched a special operation on Wednesday morning around 6:30 am. During routine checks, officers intercepted a truck (registration number AS-26AC-1102) heading towards Tripura. While the vehicle appeared to be carrying watermelons, a thorough search revealed 95 cartons containing 14,250 bottles of codeine phosphate-based cough syrup hidden underneath.
DSP Anirban Sharma of Sribhumi district stated that each bottle fetches around ₹1,000 in the black market, putting the total value of the seized consignment at approximately ₹1.5 crore. The truck has been impounded and a case filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
One of the arrested drivers, Nazrul Islam, claimed ignorance, saying he was instructed to transport the truck from Guwahati to Agartala and believed it was loaded only with watermelons.
Issuing a stern warning, DSP Sharma said, “The Assam government’s fight to build a drug-free society will continue. No trafficking will be allowed through our region. We have already begun a detailed investigation to identify the masterminds behind this consignment, and the truck owner will also be summoned.”
Police are now working to trace the network involved in the smuggling operation, with further arrests expected.
